Dragon Wars: Sakura ga Gotoku
Prologue: The Tiger of the Stars and The Promised Land.
If one wishes to find the best night entertainment in Tokyo, look no further than the red-light district of Kamuro-cho.
The year was 1988; Japan's economy had everyone bubbling with money. The citizens had so many of it they're practically swimming in it. The businesses at the time took advantage of the situation, and built many venues for their customers to pour their money for their respective shops.
Debauchery reign supreme, and the Yakuza known as the Tojo Clan were profiting from Kamuro-cho. There are two stories involving the Tojo clan; one about a young dragon of the clan being framed for a crime he did not commit, and another about a one-eyed dog who wishes to return the a life he left behind, and all he had to do is to kill a girl.
However, that is a tale for another time. The story you're about to read will not be relevant to either men until years later. In fact, only one man had any involvement in this, even if he was practically dragged into it.
This is the story of how the future Dragon of Dojima met the Tiger of the Stars. How a young thug stumbled upon an unsung hero.
This is how Kiryu Kazuma meet Taiga Shinjiro, and how this event changed the fledgling dragon's future forever.
Kamuro-cho, Champion District, 19:30 PM
A momentary peace was rare, considering where he is. Kiryu Kazuma had just beaten some punks who thought they could beat him a few minutes ago, but before he could even dust off his white pinstripe suit, a few more stood before him.
Specifically, they were harassing an old man.
"Give us some money, pops!" one of them threatened. Kiryu shook his head, disgusted at how disrespectful they're being.
Were he a simple thug of the Tojo clan—or rather a former one right now—he would've ignored this event; just another commotion in Kamuro-cho. But Kazama Shintaro, the man who practically raised him and the reason he joined the Tojo Clan, had taught him many life lessons. It may be something obvious, but respecting your elderlies is a must. That, and not being an asshole just because you can.
'This needs to stop.' Kiryu thought, but just as he was about to crack his knuckles, the old man flipped his cane and swung its handle into the main thug's jaw.
"You old geezer! Yer gonna pay for—" The thug wielding a wooden sword didn't get the chance to swung it to his head, since the old man speared his cane into his crotch. He disarmed the thug, and with a swift motion very few would have in their senior age, he grabbed the sword, and smacked the thug's head.
The old man took a stance, Kiryu was reminded when watching old samurai movies with Old Man Kazama, one of them was about the life of Sakamoto Ryoma, and the old man's stance resembled Ryoma's (or at least, how the movie depicted it)
"What's wrong, you brats? Not so tough without your weapons, huh?"
Kiryu watched on as the punks were struggling to hit the elder, the latter swiftly dodge their strikes, and countered with his newly acquired sword. The crowd of onlookers grew, many were cheering for the old man.
"Man, he's so fast!"
"What kind of style is he using?"
"I wish I have a camera to record this…"
The young dragon tuned out the commentaries, and focused on the fight. 'He's damn good, for a man of his age.' Kiryu thought to himself, 'But it doesn't change the fact that he's not in his prime. Something bad is about to happen, I know it…'
Unfortunately, he was right. As the old man took down one last thug, he winced in pain and reached for his back, "Oww, goodness… not now."
'I knew it.' Kiryu sighed, 'At least he took them all down… huh?'
The lead thug got back up, and Kiryu saw something in his right hand. Just as the thug brought his hand up, Kiryu entered the field and grabbed his wrist. "Hey… have you no shame, trying to back stab an old man in pain?"
"What the—Get your hand off of me, you fuc—"
The thug didn't get the chance to finish as Kiryu threw him into a nearby garbage pile. Nearby onlookers ducked away from the living projectile as he crashed into it.
Turning around, Kiryu asked, "Hey, old man… you alright?"
"Other than my aching back, I'm fine… took you long enough to finally decide to help me."
Kiryu smirked, "Well, I didn't want to spoil your fun with these idiots."
The old sighed, but Kiryu could see a small smile forming from him, "Well, nevertheless I'm grateful that you're here. Now help me with my back, will you?"
Before Kiryu gave his answer, the thug he threw got back up, "Hey, asshole! You think you can get away with this?!"
Kiryu didn't bother to turn around to respond to him, "You should've stayed down."
"The hell I am! Do you have any idea who I am, you old fuc—"
Again, he wasn't given a chance to finish. Kiryu turned and grabbed the back of the thug's head, he proceeded to slam his face into a nearby wall, followed by a knee strike to his back. Before he even got the chance to moan, Kiryu introduced the sole of his right shoe into his face. The onlookers winced in pain, and the thug was finally knocked out.
"You're just another idiot. And I'm still twenty, you little-"
Suddenly, something struck Kiryu's head, turning around, he saw the old man with a disapproving expression, waving his newly acquired wooden sword, "If you're done, how about helping me now?"
"Alright, already…"
Kiryu was slightly annoyed that he was basically sucker punched with a wooden sword, but Old Man Kazama would not like him retaliating against the elderly.
A few minutes later, the crowd had dispersed, with the thugs still lying unconscious. Only Kiryu and the old man remained there, since the former was trying to straighten the latter's back without making it worse.
Fortunately, the young dragon succeeded, as the old man sighed in relief, "Ahh… thanks for that, young one."
"Just trying to help, old man." Kiryu replied. Still, he couldn't help but wonder, "Say, what's an old man like you doing in a place like this, anyway? Not exactly an appropriate place for you…"
With a laugh, the old man answered, "Oh, don't I know it. Actually, I was waiting for my wife and my friends."
Kiryu raised an eyebrow, "Friends? Kamuro-cho is an odd place to have a reunion, you know. You're a veteran, I assume?"
"Oh, not really. I'm just a former manager of an old theater troupe from a long time ago. Say, do you mind keeping me company for a while? I wonder if there's a place where we can sit and talk nearby…"
He could've said no, but Kiryu was intrigued; a former manager of a theater who is damn good with a sword? That's something you don't hear everyday.
"Sure, why not? I think there's a bar nearby…"
Shellac, Pink Alley, Champion District, Kamuro-cho, 20:00 PM
"So your friends are the actresses in the same theater you managed?"
"Yes, I was but a ticket clipper at the time. After I completed my training for the Imperial Navy, my uncle sent me to New York for… advanced training."
"How does working in a theater helped your training for the navy?"
"Let's just say giving… commands to the girls were way harder than you think."
Kiryu Kazuma would've never thought that he'd be drinking with an old man like this. Still, unwinding like this once in a while doesn't hurt. Plus he gets to listen to some history. Especially in regards to the steam powered machines.
It was thanks to Kazama Shintaro that Kiryu enjoyed reading about history. He remembered that during the early 1900s, steam ruled the world. It flourished after the Russo-Japanese war and the First World War.
But after the Second World War, almost everything was destroyed. The Allied Forces feared that the Japanese would rebel using these machines, so many were scrapped during the occupation period. The few that survived were collecting dusts in museums, thanks to some convincing by influential figures.
He remembered that the French and Americans have some steam powered tech in their respective homelands, but Nazi Germany destroyed the French machines, thinking they were inferior to what they had instead. The American government dismantled their steam machines to be used for their diesel powered war machines instead. Again, only few of them survived.
"It's a shame." Kiryu commented, "Those steam engines had potential. But I guess they're obsolete now, considering the kind of power it takes to keep today's cities alive, I doubt any amount will be enough."
Drinking the content of his glass, the young man changed topic, "So, you said you were born in nineteen-oh-eight? I guess you're exactly eighty years old now. I'm surprised."
Shinjiro smiled, "Heh, after what I lived through, I won't go down that easily. Say, aren't you wondering what kind of theater I ran?"
"Well… to be honest, I kind of am."
"Would you believe a Takarazuka-style theater?"
Kiryu widened his eyes. The Takarazuka Revue is basically an all-female musical theater troupe that was created in Japan, it was named after the place it was born in, Takarazuka. "In New York? I thought America at the time wasn't really… alright, with that."
"Oh, they weren't at the time, as I was told by my predecessor, Mister Sunnyside." Shinjiro told him, "It was a few years before my arrival, but to make things short their performances had won the people's heart."
"I see." Kiryu nodded, then he was reminded of something, "Speaking of predecessors, you mentioned your uncle. If you don't mind, what kind of man was he?"
He didn't know what made him ask Shinjiro that, but he immediately regretted it once the older man lost his smile. "I'm sorry." Kiryu immediately said, "I don't know what came over me, never mind."
Taiga waved his hand, "No, no. It's alright. It's just… I miss him, you know? And his lady friends as well; they were like my older sisters."
Taiga Shinjiro began to describe his uncle Ogami Ichiro, who worked for a theater troupe after finishing his naval services. He recalled visiting them with his girls in January 1939. Despite the Japanese fighting the Chinese at the time, international travels were still allowed. The former manager retold his experiences with the women of the Teikoku Kagekidan.
"Hold on. Let me get this straight…" Kiryu interrupted, "You're saying your uncle works for the Teikoku Kagekidan? Are you serious? The ones that also had French women as part of their troupe? The same ones who sang…"
Then, Kiryu Kazuma did something Taiga Shinjiro never expected; he sang. Specifically, the first verse of the Teikoku Kagekidan's theme song. He was a pretty damn good singer.
"Well… obviously." Taiga answered in a monotone, while the bartender applauded Kiryu. "I'm surprised that you can sing that song, let alone knowing it."
Kiryu caught himself misbehaving again, 'Damn, I'm acting like some guy who follows his aniki or something. And now I'm singing about it? In front of the bartender too, no less…'
The older man laughed at the youth, "I can tell that you've been practicing your vocals thanks to those karaoke things," Kiryu was blushing a bit at that remark, "But I find it hard to believe that a tough guy like you enjoy theater."
Scoffing, Kiryu told the old man with a bit of pride, "So what if I do? It doesn't make me less of a man, singing or enjoying theatrical acts. I follow my own path, and I won't let any jackass tell me how to live my life."
"Well said, Kiryu-kun." Taiga called him familiarly, "How about we toast to that? To following your own path!"
Kiryu smirked, and picked up his glass, clinking it to the older man's own glass, "And not letting some jackasses tell you how to do it."
Both men continued drinking. Kiryu had a surprising high alcohol tolerance, so even though he could drink a few more than normal, he won't get as tipsy as many people. Taiga Shinjiro, however…
"Did you know I lost a bet with one of my girls one time? I forgot why we did it, but she said that if I lost I must perform with the others minus her as a woman, and since I lost, I did! Let me tell ya, I was the most gorgeous, petite looking girl among them… I swear they were jealous of me after all this time!"
"I'm sure they are…"
Taiga Shinjiro was hammered.
Kiryu was trying to figure a way out of this situation; how the hell is he going to take care of a drunken old man? Fortunately, he didn't have to wait. Something was beeping from the older man. "Hey, is that your pager? I think your wife is calling…"
Kiryu saw Taiga pressing a switch from his wristwatch; it opened to reveal some sort of radio speaker.
"Shinjiro, where in tarnation are you?" the voice cried out, "Didn't I tell ya to not go anywhere, and now I'm in some sort of park looking for you!"
Shinjiro winced, for he knew how much in trouble he was in. "Oh… Hi, honey. I was just… waiting for you. My legs were getting tired, so I…"
"Wait a goddarn minute, I know that tone… I can't believe that you're drunk right now!"
Kiryu Kazuma (plus the bartender) looked on as the old man tried to calm his wife down in English. The wife sounded American; he can tell from the cowboy accent she's using. He looked at the bartender, who shrugged in return. Both knowing to not get involved in an argument between an elderly couple.
'Still… that's a peculiar device.' Kiryu pondered, 'Could that be something from the Age of Steam? It looks fine, for something that existed fifty years ago.'
A few minutes later, Shinjiro closed the device, "Please, Kiryu-kun… You got to help me."
Sighing, Kiryu knew that he's not going to get out of this own. "Alright, alright… Where is she?"
Forty-Five minutes since their first glasses…
Paying for their drinks, Kiryu decided to escort Taiga Shinjiro to his wife. The latter told him that she was in a nearby park. "I think I know where that is," he told him, "It's north of here, not too far… if you still have the energy to walk."
Shinjiro responded by whacking his cane into one of his legs, "This is no time for jokes! Gemini is going to kill me if I don't show up!" he then walked out of the Champion District, and turned northwards.
Kiryu did his best not to wince, but it was one powerful strike. "Damn, what the hell have I gotten myself into? I better make sure he doesn't fall or something…"
Following the older man, he was glad that Taiga Shinjiro actually knew where he was going. It helped that he was a former navy officer; he should had the knowledge to know which direction was which.
A few minutes of walking later, the two reached the Kamuro-cho Hills. The two entered the park, passing a peculiar bag close to a tree; then they saw someone in the middle of the park. It was an elderly woman… surrounded thugs.
Kiryu clenched his fists, 'Seriously, I didn't realize tonight is "Pick-a-fight-with-the-elderly" day for these losers. Unbelievable…'
The older woman was wearing a reddish orange themed kimono, her hair tied into a ponytail with a red bow. Despite her advanced age, Kiryu could see that her eyes were vibrant; she was ready to fight them as her hands clenched tightly into what appears to be a katana. 'So that's Taiga Gemini… How did she manage to not get caught by the cop with that on her waist?'
"You damn punks! Stay the hell away from my wife!"
So was Taiga Shinjiro. He embedded his cane into a nearby grass field, and unsheathed the confiscated wooden sword he took from that punk.
"What's that? Who do you think you're—Oh, shit! It's you two!"
'What do you know?' Kiryu thought, 'It's the same guy who harassed the old man.'
"Aniki, that's the guy! He's the one who beaten us!"
Kiryu looked at the bigger man the younger thug was referring too. He lamented the familiarity of this situation, 'Of course they're not going to say that an old man beat them. Guess I'm the obvious scapegoat… again. At least nobody died this time.'
The bigger man wore a crimson pinstripe, his head shaven in a military cut. One look at him, and Kiryu was instantly reminded of an oni. 'Damn, that's one ugly mug.'
"Hmm… him, you say? That one looks familiar…"
'Ah, crap. I don't need this shit right now.' Kiryu cursed. Being chased by the Tojo Clan not only meant that he had to be wary of the members, but other people who's after him thanks to a bounty on his head. However, one part of his mind was worried that if he was outed as a Yakuza—even though he quit the life—Taiga Shinjiro and his wife won't trust him anymore.
Not that he didn't care, but something about the old man made Kiryu not want to disappoint him.
Before anybody could do anything else, Kiryu saw Gemini's eyes looking different. In a flash, she kneeled down, and heard the sound of a sword being pulled out of its scabbard. Kiryu couldn't help but gasped with the punks as she now stood between the two sides.
"Shinjiro… you have a lot of explaining to do."
"Uh… I can explain, really! Please calm down!"
"I was worried about you, but lo and behold, you were drinking this whole time… and with this stranger no less!"
"It's alright, honey! He's a good man!"
"You didn't tell him anything important, did you?"
"W-what? Of course not, I just talk about how things were during our days, he actually likes hearing it."
Kiryu felt that they were talking about him, but he ignored it since he couldn't understand them, 'Man, these two are acting like they're teenage lovers or something. But what the hell did she just do? For a moment she was behind them, but now…'
The young thug cried out a protest, "H-hey! You old hag, you think you can just ignore us?!"
"Enough already." Kiryu said, "I don't know what your problem is, harassing the elderlies like this, but you need to knock it off. Otherwise, you'll have to answer to me."
Gemini stared at Kiryu, the latter raising an eyebrow instead. The older woman then said, "It's alright, child. I appreciate the gesture, but they're already dead."
She slowly sheathed her sword as the other men wondered why she said that, only Shinjiro sighed in exasperation. 'She's not really…'
"Kiri-sute gomen."
As Gemini declared that old expression, her sword finally entered the scabbard entirely; at that very instant, the men were suddenly torn apart.
"Holy shit! How did she do that?!"
"My pants! My shirt!"
"My wallet!"
Well, their clothing, anyway.
Surprisingly, Gemini let out a girlish giggle, "Just kidding!"
Shinjiro shook his head, "Gemini… you shouldn't scare them like that." He told her in Japanese.
Luckily for Kiryu, the missus replied in his native tongue, "Aww, no harm, no foul, Shinji. These brats needed to be taught a lesson, anyway."
Kiryu looked on to the punks, one by one they ran away in a panic. Only the bigger man stayed, seemingly trying to comprehend what just happened. 'Damn, is she a samurai or something?'
"So, who is this fine young gentleman here?"
Kiryu turned to the Taiga couple, Shinjiro put his hand on the younger man's shoulder, "Ah, this here is Kiryu Kazuma. He helped me fend off some punks when I got here. In fact, one of them was the same guy who harassed you, dear."
"Nice to meet you, Taiga-san." Kiryu bowed, "That was a fine display of swordsmanship, though I doubt you're allowed to say those line and meant it nowadays."
"Really? I didn't know." Gemini told him, she looked genuinely surprised by that fact. "I just do what all those cool samurai folks did in the movies. The ones with that Mifune fellow on them are my favorites…"
"Gemini, really." Shinjiro admonished his wife, "You'll get in trouble for that, I'm surprised that you aren't in a police station, bringing your sword with you."
'Wow… these two are quite something.' Kiryu admired. It's one thing to be married for decades and grow old together, but this kind of quirky couple is rare nowadays. In a way, it was refreshing.
However, the moment was interrupted by the big man. Whose laugh slowly increase in volume.
'What's his deal?'
"Unbelievable… not only do I found the one the Tojo Clan is looking for, but I found the one and only Taiga Shinjiro himself! And his foreign trophy wife as well!"
"Trophy wife?!" Gemini shouted, "Why I oughta teach this varmint a lesson he'll never forget; do you have any idea what we've been through together you son of a—"
"Gemini honey, please calm down!"
Kiryu stood between the man and the couple. He understood why the man was after him, but the Taigas as well? What did they do?
Then, the big man growled. As Kiryu looked on, he couldn't believe what he was seeing; his skin turned purple. Both eyeballs turning red and glowed in the dark. Bony horns protruded from his forehead, nails turning into claws, and finally stripes began to appear on his body.
"What… the fuck is that?" Kiryu proclaimed. Turning to the Taigas, he saw the two wearing the same face; the faces of warriors.
"Shinjiro, I have your sword in that bag." She pointed at the same bag the two men passed by. "I had a feeling that something like this would happen."
"Right. Gemini, I think you should fill him in." Shinjiro replied, turning around to get the contents of the bag.
Kiryu looked at the older woman, hundreds of questions on his mind, but he managed to ask one, "Lady, what the hell is that?"
"That's what we called a Youma." She told the ex-yakuza, "I assume my husband told you that we were workers in a theatrical troupe? Well, that's just a cover for our real job…"
Shinjiro continued, a katana and wakizashi in each hands, "Our real job is to actually defend New York from these creatures. In the old days, we would use steam-powered mechanoids we called STAR. Japan and Paris had one of their own, but perhaps the names Kohbu and Jinbu sound more familiar to you."
Kiryu widened his eyes as he connected the dots, "No way… does that mean your uncle and his friends were also pretending to work in theaters? Even the French actresses?"
"Yes. The only thing kept secret was the identity of the pilots for each divisions. They may just be for cover, but all of us treated our theater works as real jobs." Shinjiro replied, "Unfortunately… we cannot beat old age. At least I'm glad that the Youma numbers are diminishing as well. But as you can see, stragglers comes out now and then."
"Hold on." Kiryu interrupted, "The books I read said that they were bigger than that freak over there. Why is it human sized?"
Shinjiro answered the younger man, "We don't know. Perhaps this is their way of being more discreet as the ages change. Now stand back."
The beast snarled at the trio, it slowly approached them as they continued talking. Kiryu then asked, "Hold on… you're going to beat that thing? I know that you two are more skillful than I am, but need I remind you two that you're old? You can't beat him on your own!"
Shinjiro smiled at Kiryu, "Don't worry. We're not too old for this just yet; we still have one thing that can help us."
"Indeed." Gemini added, "It's alright. We'll take care of him."
Kiryu Kazuma didn't like the idea of leaving the two elderlies to fight on their own, but fighting actual demons is way out of his league. With regret, he ran to a nearby tree and hunkered down. "Damn it all… what the hell have I gotten myself into now? First this bullshit with the Tojo Clan, and now goddamn demons…"
He'd pondered more, if it weren't for the overwhelming presence he felt. He looked at the Taigas, and he could've sworn that he saw their respective auras flowing around them, like flames. Shinjiro's was white, while his wife was similarly colored with her reddish orange kimono. He could feel the HEAT they were giving.
'No… I'm not seeing things. They're actually emitting auras! What is this Hokuto no Ken shit?!'
At that moment, the two dashed with a speed that shouldn't be possible for their age. Shinjiro slashed the demon's right arm with his sword and dagger, Gemini went for its sides, cutting a deep horizontal slash.
It roared in pain, in its anger the demon used his unharmed arm to smash the older woman. However, she dodged it easily. Shinjiro went for a jumping slash to its back, and with an X-motion, he made the demon stumble. He ducked as it swung its large right arm, and stabbed his belly with his sword. Gemini took a deep breath, and jumped on top of it, slashing one of its eye out.
The demon clasped his face, letting out a scream of agony. 'With all this commotion, I thought the cops would be swarming this place by now… what's taking them?' Kiryu wondered. As he witnessed the old couple easily fending off the demon, he couldn't help but ponder, 'Fighting demons… that's a noble cause, more so than being a Yakuza. But in these day and age, the only demons that exist are the ones within men's heart. I wonder if that guy was a decent man once, only to be corrupted into whatever he is now… was he ever human to begin with?'
'I doubt the JSDF had this covered in their books… even though I just quit, I'm not sure if this life won't come back to haunt me in the future.'
His thought was interrupted when Shinjiro was flung into his direction. "Shinjiro-san!" Kiryu shouted, followed by Gemini doing the same.
"Dammit, old man, hang in there!" Kiryu pleaded. He knew that he's tough, but with this old body of his, he wasn't sure of how serious Shinjiro's injuries were.
"Shinji, speak to me!" Gemini cried out, shaking her husband to consciousness, with little effect.
And right then, Kiryu had made a decision. He's unsure if his life as a yakuza would affect his future, but for the moment, he had to help.
"Taiga-san… are you and your husband the only ones who can defeat it?" Kiryu asked.
Gemini looked at the younger man, she felt that he was about to do something stupid, "Actually... if your spiritual strength is powerful enough, anyone could slay them. What are you planning?"
'This may be the most insane thing I'll ever do… but I have to protect these two.' Kiryu determined, clutching his suit with his right hand. In a swift motion, he took off his suit and shirt—with nary a tear on either of them.
'No matter what.'
Shinjiro woke up just in time to see Kiryu taking his clothes off. The Taigas got a good view of his back. Or rather, what's on his back.
It was a tattoo. It's incomplete, but they could see the outlines of a dragon, its body facing heavenwards. They recognize the type of tattoo it was, and what kind of people that usually had them.
"An irezumi…" Gemini whispered. "Kiryu… are you a yakuza?"
(Play Ryu ga Gotoku/Yakuza 1 OST: Receive You)
Instead of answering, Kiryu cracked his knuckles, and put on a pair of knuckledusters to his fists. "You two should find someplace safe. I'll hold him off until either of you could recover."
Kiryu himself never realized that he had something in common with the Taigas. He too emitted his own type of aura, blue in color.
Gemini didn't need to think twice to take her husband to safety, but she heard him saying something, albeit in a hushed tone. "It can't be…" Shinjiro struggled to say, "He has it too."
Rolling dies fall~/Ruling dies out~
Kiryu walked towards the howling demon. Unrelenting, he scoffed off his roars, and waved a hand towards himself. "Come on, you freak. I bet you're damn proud of yourself, fighting the elderly. Now you deal with me." With that, he took a more Thuggish Stance.
"Ki… Kiryuuuuu…"
Surprisingly, it was still capable of speech, albeit a bit broken. It doesn't matter for Kiryu Kazuma; he will fight it.
As the demon got closer, Kiryu dashed forward into its personal space, and gave it an uppercut to the chin. Followed by a few punches to the gut, and a finishing kick.
He gave the demon a triple kick combo, despite the lack of strength, they did the job of pushing it back. Kiryu gave another uppercut, followed by a double fisted smash to its head.
However, it wasn't enough to beat him. The demon swiped its claws at Kiryu. Onlookers will think that it was an instant kill, but Kiryu Kazuma is no mere man. Somehow, the HEAT of his aura protected him. He still felt the pain, but adrenaline numbed it.
This time, the demon threw a left fist, making Kiryu skid into a nearby bench. With a grunt, Kiryu got back up. But something was about to change from within him.
"I'm not gonna go down that easy." He told the demon, and with a huff, he stomped the ground, and spread his arms apart. His blue aura had turned yellow, and his focus solidified as his desire to Destroy him increases.
With incredible ease, Kiryu picked up the bench with just one arm, and smashed it into its face. Seeing that it was still intact, the ex-yakuza kept on swinging. Now the bench was almost wrecked, Kiryu decided to HEAT things up; summoning all his might, he raised the bench skywards, and brought it down hard to the demon's head. After giving it a kick, he decided to pull out another move. He grabbed one of its horns, and slammed his fist into its jaw.
Taking a few steps back, Kiryu pulled out something from his pocket, it was a Staminan X energy drink. Chugging the whole bottle down, he threw it away, and took an entirely different stance. He did a small jump, and turned his body to his right, raising both fists up, as his yellow aura turned purple, he planned to Rush this demon down.
"Come on! I'm still standing! I don't care how tough you are, I'll beat your ass!"
(End OST)
Taiga Shinjiro looked on with his wife as the younger man managed his own against the Youma. He was sitting down, his back hugging the tree bark.
"Shinjiro… are you seeing the same thing I am?" Gemini asked, her left hand firmly gripping her sheathed katana, her right hugging her husband's body.
"I do… I can't believe people like him still exist. For each different stances he took, his aura changed colors. Incredible" He replied, "This changes everything, Gemini. We've always planned to create a new division in case they returned… but I never thought we'd found a candidate this soon."
Gemini looked at her husband disapprovingly, "Honey, I can tell that he's a good guy… but he's still a yakuza. Say that he quit his life, do you think his people would accept it easily? Will the future members of this new division would accept him?"
It took a few seconds, but Shinjiro responded with a laugh, "Do you remember Lobelia?" he asked. Gemini was about to say something, but chose to nod instead. "She was a legitimate criminal, as my uncle told me. But the years of working with the Paris and Imperial Troupes had changed her. And remember that dungeon incident? She was aloof, but had become nicer, even after what happened to France during the war… I believe he can change as well, just give him time to mature."
Shinjiro continued, "He also has a good head on him… I think he's smart enough to figure things out."
She was still reluctant, but after all the battles she went through with the Star Division, Gemini was willing to give Kiryu the benefit of the doubt.
Speaking of whom, he just landed in front of them. Body bruised and cuts all over, yet the young dragon still stands. One of his knuckledusters were shattered, the other were showing signs of cracks forming.
"Kiryu!" Gemini cried, "Hang in there!"
Groaning, Kiryu struggled to get up, "I'm… I'm fine. Have either of you recovered?"
"I'm good to go, but Shinji…"
"Then I'll keep him occupied."
Gemini held the ex-yakuza's wrist as he stood up, "Hold on! That's suicide, you can't possibly take him down all by yourself!"
Kiryu turned around, his lips forming a smirk, "Don't worry. I don't plan to die so soon. Your husband said that with sufficient spiritual strength, anybody can beat him. Well, since I drank a lot this night, I'm feeling pretty spirited."
"Darn it, boy. It doesn't work like that!"
"You're saying you want me to get into some robot? Do you think in this day and age, it's practical?" Kiryu retorted, "Especially with how crowded cities are nowadays, if you want to fight that thing in places like this, you have to wear a suit of armor or something out of a tokusatsu show."
The ex-yakuza wrestled his hand out of her grasp, and charged forward. Each steps he taken built up his inner HEAT gauge. He can feel his soul burning. The demon wasn't faring well, he was bruised and beaten, but it was still standing.
The two stared each other in the eyes as Kiryu got closer. Both let out a mighty roar, and the two raised their respective right fists, preparing for one final blow.
Kiryu felt the world slowing down, if he could land the hit, he knew the demon would be beaten. But in with its long arms, both Kiryu and the demon would hit each other simultaneously.
Fortunately, fate was on Kiryu's side. For a moment, he glanced at his legs. If he could pull it off, he could instead get even closer to the demon, and perhaps kicking him away.
'Now or never!'
Kiryu weaved forward, ducking while he's at it. The demon was startled by the sudden move, but the momentary pause gave Kiryu a chance for one final kick.
"OOOOORRRAAAH!"
With his left feet firmly on the ground, he swung his right leg, using all of the remaining energy he had. Little did he knew, his aura momentarily shifted from silver, to red, and back to blue as his foot connected to the demon's chest. It flew far, Kiryu was still stuck in the kicking position he just did. His right arm straightly positioned behind him, his left across his stomach.
The Taigas saw it all, even the aura shifts. The two could see a large, uneven red ring of aura surrounding Kiryu, the largest part shaped from the arc of his kick. As he returned to a more neutral position, both his aura and the circle faded away, and he dropped to his knees.
He looked at the demon lying on the ground. He wasn't moving at all. However, Kiryu did not let his guard down. 'Damn… this is one tough sonnuvabitch. For all I know, he's faking it.'
Kiryu heard footsteps, knowing who they were, he held a hand to them, "Hold it. He could still be alive."
The Taigas listened, and stood next to Kiryu instead. The two helped the young man up, supporting him since the fight took a lot out of him.
A few minutes later, the demon started to tremble. The old couple raised their respective blades, but it was proven unnecessary as it started to combust into blue flames. The three waited until it burned into ashes, and finally its remains were swept away by the wind. The Taigas then sheathed their swords, sighing in relief.
"Did I… did I just beat it?"
"Miraculously, yes." Shinjiro answered. "Then again, I shouldn't be too surprised. My uncle told me that his predecessor, the former commander of the Imperial Troupe, used to be a part of a Youma Extermination Squad. They didn't have robots or any other steam powered machines at the time, yet their efforts was what made the steam industry in Japan a reality. It's just so rare to see someone defeating one with their bare hands."
Kiryu let out a small laugh, "Well, good to know that there are people like you even in this era, huh?"
"Come on, you two." Gemini interrupted, "How about we go to someplace comfy to talk? Here, I got your suit, Kiryu."
After putting it around his shoulders, Kiryu raised his head, "Thanks, Taiga-san. I appreciate it."
"Please, just call me Gemini. You can call my husband Taiga if you want. And—what's so funny, boy?"
"Sorry, it's just… you're an American, aren't you?"
"Yes, is that a problem?"
"Oh, not at all… My English is terrible, but I remember some words that I can understand. Since your people have their name order different than us… that means your name could be translated to Gemini Tiger… That's really cool."
Gemini gave Kiryu a karate chop to the noggin', "You silly boy. Did the fight scrambled your brain, or is it the alcohol kicking in?"
"Honestly, Gemini-san? I don't know anymore… I think it's both."
"Unbelievable! No wonder you were reckless back then; that was the alcohol talking!"
"Hey, at least I didn't babble my mouth about random things, like how your husband seemed to enjoy his time crossdressing that one time…"
Shinjiro began to regret telling Kiryu that as his wife's eyes gazed into his. She was most unamused. "I… I can explain?"
Instead she began to walk Kiryu out of the park, Shinjiro almost lost balance, but he held the younger man up.
"What else did the two of you talked about? Before I forget, do you know a place where we can lie down?" Gemini asked, ignoring her husband's struggle.
"Oh, I know a place, it's south of the district, let's take a taxi… He told me the times his body moved on his own towards a hot spring in that theater you used to work in. Man, the sighs he'd seen…"
"Really? I'm curious of how many… things, he'd seen when he did all that."
"Honey, please, I'm really sorry. That's decades ago, you're the only one for me now."
"It seems Sakura-san was right all along; even your uncle had "incidents" where his body moved on his own towards a hot spring or a bath. In fact, since the Paris Troupe moved into Tokyo, the incidents increased. It is hereditary."
"That's just nonsense!"
As the Taigas kept on bickering, they managed to reach the main road in the east, taking a taxi with Kiryu to the one place he frequents. The taxi driver had a migraine due to their bickering, so he took the rest of the night off. Doesn't help that Kiryu was singing that one song when it was on the radio.
"Breaaaking the laaaaw~ Breaking the ruuuuleees~"
Kamuro-cho Gate, Tenkaichi Street, the next morning…
"So… you two are leaving?"
"Yes. It's unfortunate, but I guess the Star Division's reunion had to be put on hold."
"Please, that was just an excuse for… what happened last night, wasn't it?"
Shinjiro was surprised, but immediately put on a smile, "Perceptive as well. However, I am serious of having a reunion with them… we're not getting any younger, you know."
Gemini laughed at that, "Anyway, what's your next move, Kiryu-kun?"
His smile faded a bit, but he answered the older woman, "Well, as I said, I'm having a… problem with my old family. I don't know how, but I'm going to resolve this. One way or another."
"I wish you luck on that, Kiryu." Shinjiro said, "But… about that offer. What do you think?"
Kiryu put his hands into his pockets, and looked up to the blue skies. "Honestly, I don't know… joining a new division to fight demons sounds like a noble cause. But I'm just one man, and I'm not even sure if I'll get out of this mess unscathed."
"Still, I do hope you find the people you're looking for." Kiryu continued, "And if I'm still on the list, come find me. Don't worry about not knowing where I'll be; I doubt I'll be leaving this place anytime soon."
"You do realize that this could be a permanent job for you, right?" Shinjiro asked.
Kiryu simply shrugged, "Anything could happen in the future. I may change my mind and would prefer it to be a part-time job or something. We'll see."
Then, a long white limousine stopped in front of the gateway. The doors were adorned with stars and sun marks.
"Ah, here's our ride Shinjiro."
"Indeed it is, Gemini… Well, Kiryu Kazuma. I bid you farewell, and wish you luck on your journey ahead." Taiga extended an arm towards Kiryu, which the younger man took and shake.
"Until next time, Taiga Shinjiro-san. You as well, Taiga Gemini-san."
Finally, the Taigas bowed to Kiryu, the latter replying in kind. As the older couple entered their limousine, Kiryu looked on as the vehicle sped of into parts unknown.
'Well… that's the end of that.' Kiryu lit a cigarette bar as he pondered, 'Considering how old they are, I'm not even sure if I'll see them again years later. But there's something about them. I get the feeling that whatever they've been through, they won't die that easily. '
'If they somehow managed to pull this off,' He continued, 'Maybe that job would be the only one I'll need.'
With one last puff, Kiryu dropped the bar and smudged it with his shoe. The young dragon turned around, his quest to clear his name continued, "Now to find Kuze…"
Somewhere in Tokyo, 1st of October, 1995
"Taiga-sama! I bring urgent news!"
A butler dashed his way to his master, the 87 years old Taiga Shinjiro. He gave a news paper to the older man, and what was said in the front page made him understood the situation.
"I see… what have you gotten yourself into, Kiryu Kazuma?"
The butler caught his breath, and asked his master, "Sir, was he not the man you speak of? The one who has a spectacularly high level of spiritual energy?"
"Indeed he is, my boy."
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking… why him? Especially with what he just did, I doubt he's a good candidate…"
"Kiryu Kazuma… he reminded me of myself during my youth. I know, it sounds cliché, but there are so few men of his character these days. You will not find somebody else with his kind of spirit."
The older man continued, "I have read of how horrible this Dojima Sohei is, and I do not mourn his death. But there is something off about this… Kiryu is not the type of person who will do this sort of thing."
Taiga then picked up his rotary phone, and dialed the operator, "Find me the number for Kazama Shintaro. I have a proposition for him." His next action was to beckon his butler, "Oh, and fetch me the dossiers, will you? I wish to review them again."
"At once, Taiga-sama."
The butler walked to a cabinet file, while his master was talking to whoever picked up the phone to get this Kazama Shintaro, he found the aforementioned files he was asked to find. A minute later, he found them all. "Here they are, sir." With that, he took his position next to a nearby tea set.
Taiga Shinjiro gave a nod to his butler, as he was too busy since Kazama Shintaro was on the other side. "Yes, you heard me right, Kazama-san. I have a proposition to help young Kiryu Kazuma out of his predicament."
"Taiga Shinjiro…" Kazama repeated the name of his caller, "I remembered Kazuma telling me about his encounter with you and your wife. I had the feeling that there was more to the story, but I did not push him. How are you going to help him?"
"At the time, he told me that he had quit this… life you are living. Apparently, circumstances had made him stay with this line of work.." Taiga explained, "So I offered him a job if he was sincere about his desire to quit. I don't know what will happen now that he is imprisoned, but let's just say I have a contingency plan…"
He cleared his throat, his voice taking a more stern tone, "However, there is a catch."
Kazama Shintaro sighed, "Isn't there always a catch? What do you want?"
"Firstly, I wish to talk to you in person. This is something I want to discuss with you, and doing so on the phone would be difficult, since I have things I wish to show you."
A few seconds of silence took place, before Kazama responded, "Just name the time and place. I may not trust you, but you did helped Kazuma somehow. For that, I will oblige your request. What's next?"
"Secondly… I need your help gathering a few key individuals."
"Does this involve Kazuma somehow?"
Taiga Shinjiro took a deep breathe, at the same time he glanced at the dossiers on his work table.
One by one, his eyes gazed upon the names written on each files; Cereza, Jeanne, Sarah Bryant, Pai Chan, Eileen, and Blaze Fielding.
However, like any candidates for anything, some may not qualify, others do. Some may not even respond to the call. Thus, Taiga Shinjiro will have carefully pick the future members of the planned division.
For now, he has a deal to make, "Yes, yes it does."
Happy New Year everyone!
The Stranger has returned, and he brought a gift; a brand new story. And for once, not a Kamen Rider related fanfic!
I've always wanted to read a damn good Ryu ga Gotoku/Yakuza or Sakura Taisen fanfic… alas, I have found none that pique my interest at all. Therefore, I decided to make one.
And the fact that Yakuza 5 has yet to enter Region 3 PSN ticked me off so much, I decided to alleviate my saltiness into making this. I read rumors of Region 3 countries getting physical release, but I doubt it. This just increases my sodium levels. Yes I know I could just make a Region 1 account but I don't want to. If Firewatch doesn't appear in Region 3 PSN… I may have no choice.
But I digress.
Honestly, as perfect as I see this story, it's damn difficult to make one. I mean, try putting the Yakuza cast and story into the timeline of Sakura Taisen. With all the demons wrecking shit up, having the yakuza trying to mess things up alongside them will just be plain difficult. Especially the storyline of the Yakuza games since implementing them into Sakura Taisen is nigh-impossible.
Yes, I said it. Nigh-impossible; you try to create an amalgamated timeline wit the events from Yakuza 0 to 5, and whatever story 6 will have. Too damn many shits to do.
Oh, speaking of time, I do hope I got the dates for 1995 right; it's been a while since I played the original, so I don't remember what the date was when Kiryu was arrested. I didn't type the dates for the Yakuza 0 parts because I don't want to spoil myself; besides, 0 will be internationalized, so I may update this chapter once it's out. Hopefully, it will be in Asian stores as well.
Therefore, I chose this option; have the Yakuza plot take center stage, but with elements from the Sakura Taisen series.
Not much of a crossover, I know. But this is the most logical way to do it imo. Yes, almost all of the iconic cast are long gone, only a few are still alive (I wonder if the loli trio of Sakura Taisen would still be alive by 2005?) and I don't like alienating the Sakura Taisen fans like this… but let's get real; if there's ever going to be a Sakura Taisen 6 and beyond, the story must go forward… that means involving World War 2, the Cold War, and so on. Wouldn't that be something?
Unfortunately, I don't think Sega has the balls to make this legendary franchise enter this mature territory. I volunteer to do it.
Do note that I will refer the game canons instead of what you see in the anime and OVAs (I should get over whatever that's making me not want to watch them someday) so there will be some… differences. Plus my own interpretation of the characters.
Speaking of which, you read that right; the ladies of Sega will be the members of Kiryu Kazuma's future division. And yes, Bayonetta and Sarah Bryant of Virtua Fighter are in it. However, I do feel that I need more… any suggestions? I've already decided for Bayonetta and Sarah Bryant to be the first members Kiryu will meet, but the others… I don't know yet. I was never into Sega a lot, I own few of their games.
Please don't just type the names; give me info on them alongside your thoughts of this story. Make me want to add them in!
This may be a Sega-centric crossover, but they have subsidiaries… like Atlus. Other than the Shin Megami Tensei characters, and of course the Persona cast (even though them being involved in 2005 is impractical since P3 starts in 2010 or something), who else should I add? I read that Guilty Gear used to be a Sega franchise before ArcSys bought the rights back…
Oh, and no Sonic the Hedgehog characters. Seriously, I just can't see any of them mixing well with the human cast of this story. At all. Maybe a cameo like one character playing a Sonic game or something, but they will not appear in this story in an important role.
So before you start to whine, don't. I'm not even that into Sonic, anyway. So I won't do your favorite characters justice.
… Or maybe I'm just fucking with you guys and will do everything I said I won't do. Or something else entirely just to screw with you guys even more rofl
Seriously though, I actually do need some feedback on this. As for the Sega Ladies, I'm trying to keep the numbers low, since the original Sakura Taisen game started with only a few girls in the team. Yeah, Ohgami eventually will get the Paris girls integrated into the Imperial Troupe, but I'm following the original game this way. Also, the New York division only has 6 girls.
So… basically, name four girls, AND give me your review of it. Otherwise, I won't count it.
Next, I shall create a poll, and the first round will be about which Virtua Fighter girls other than Sarah Bryant to be in the team. After that, I will make a part 2, so you can vote which of the top 2 shall enter.
Then I'll keep going for other Sega games that have playable women. Even the old school games. I better do my research on them.
Anyways, Read, Review, and Rejoice!