Yaa Chapter 10! Now a bit of warning, no matter how hard I thought, I ended up writing one where Ryuto gets his ass kicked. Which is inevetiable as Kenichi is a lot stronger than him. After a few different plans, I think I got it to work where Ryuto doesn't get too badly steam rolled while also showing off some of Kenichi's new skills! Oh well, onwards with the story!
Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!
This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!
Also, heads up in this chapter as there will be people talking in different languages. So by default, they speak Japanese. Anything like this: [Dialogue] Means that the people are talking in a different language, such as English or French.
Odin and Kenichi stared off at each other as the crowd began to stop fighting, more eager to watch this conflict.
"Ryuto, is there no way we can settle this without fighting?" asked Kenichi one more time.
"Hmph, such a naive fool," sneered Odin, "There can be no more banter between us. Just the holy act of fighting each other."
As Odin glared, he withdrew an old Yin Yang pin with scratches all over it. Kenichi took out his Yin Yang pin, all polished and clean. The difference between these two pins could easily be seen. As one, they both tossed it to Miu, who easily caught both of them.
"I expect to have the winner's pin when this fight is over," stated Odin as he raised his hands up.
"Ryuto...looks like in the end, the only way to get through your twisted mind is through violence," sighed Kenichi, "So be it. Take off your glasses. If I'm going to bend that twisted personality of yours back to shape, I'd rather do it without risking the chance of you going blind when I punch your face."
"Hahaha, such a foolish conjecture," laughed Odin, "But you'll never be able to touch me with my Seikuken!"
Odin struck first, thinking he would end this fast. A palm thrust shot out so fast that most martial artists around his level wouldn't be able to dodge.
The palm strike that struck nothing but air.
"I've said it before," stated Kenichi, already face to face to Odin, invading his territory with ease, "Take them off."
Kenichi gently took off Odin's glasses, who was frozen in shock that he couldn't respond when Kenichi broke right through his Seikuken. Kenichi gently pushed Odin back with his right hand, his body shifting so his right leg was right behind Odin's legs, tripping him.
Odin fell on his butt as Kenichi took a step back, shocked at how easy he had fallen. The rest of Ragnarok was also in shock at their leader on his butt.
"Hey, I didn't even see that Kenichi kid move," muttered one grunt.
"I thought Odin's attack was fast, but he moved faster!"
"Oh geez, you don't think he'll lose?"
Odin quickly got back on his feet, anger starting to crawl up within him, before quickly being quelled. Seikuken relied on a calm mind.
"Hoo you're faster than I thought," said Odin, "But you won't get through my defense again!"
Kenichi merely closed his eyes for a second before raising his arms, setting up his Seikuken, to Odin's shock. The two began to approach each other once more, their Seikuken starting to overlap each other before they began to fight once more.
Their fists crossed over, colliding against each other once more for several seconds.
"Hmm, a battle for territory," pondered Ogata from his crane, "I've trained Ryuto quite extensively on this technique, and his inner eye is much stronger than anyone within his disciple group. Though against this opponent who is a disciple of Ryozanpaku, I fear he may not win."
Indeed as the fight went on, Odin found himself losing territory in the fight, always having to move back to prevent himself from being overwhelmed.
'This can't be possible!' raged Odin mentally, 'I, who have been blessed with a master and pushed beyond my limits! And yet Kenichi is able to push me back! Still, I'm getting used to his pattern, now.'
"You surprised me with your mastery of this technique, but it's time I show you why I'm called Odin!" boasted Odin once more as he threw a left palm strike, predicting Kenichi would be at this spot.
The strike landed... if Kenichi had continued his attack. Instead, he had completely backed up, much to Odin's shock again. A second later, a sack of sand hit him right in the nose.
"Guess now would be a good time to test this out in actual combat," grinned Kenichi as he jerked back the meteor hammer. The sandbag he had tied to his waist was actually the end part of his meteor hammer. The rope had been loosely tied around his waist, covered slightly by his belt.
"Cheater! He's using a weapon!" said a random grunt.
Kenichi ignored that as he swung his meteor hammer a bit, looping over his leg before shooting it out toward Odin once more.
Odin was so unprepared for Kenichi to use such a weapon that he took several direct hits. Each time he thought Kenichi wouldn't attack, Kenichi would just kick the sand bag while spinning it, making it shoot right towards Odin. Or while retreating, jump up and fire it right towards him. It took Odin several times before finally getting used to the timing of the unique weapon and to dodge it.
"Hmph, so you tried to take advantage of the long range," sneered Odin as he began to dodge the attacks, "Though you might have been successful on your first few attacks, your inexperience with this weapons shows! That just means you're empty hand fist techniques are just as weak!"
Odin charged at Kenichi, dodging the projectile headed right towards his chest.
'Gotcha!' thought Odin as he closed in onto Kenichi's chest while his weapon was still far away, and tried to punch him.
Kenichi dodged the punch, his hands still grabbing the rope when he made a loop for Odin's fist to go through. Quickly tightening the rope, he had Odin's wrist trapped in the rope. Before Odin could react, Kenichi was already starting to spin, bringing Odin with him. Kenichi then threw Odin into the ground hard, causing some spit to fly out as the air in his lungs were forced out. Without even waiting, Kenichi quickly grabbed Odin's arm and moved it behind him while he was facing the ground. He held it in a lock while his leg prevented the other arm from interfering.
"It's over Ryuto," said Kenichi as Odin tried to struggle, but couldn't escape.
Most of the Ragnarok members were watching in shock at how easily Odin was subdued. Berserker couldn't help but rub his eyes to make sure what was happening wasn't an illusion. Kisara was helping Freya up, who stared at Kenichi in shock.
"Hahaha look at our Shinpaku Alliance Assault Commander, Shirahama Kenichi! He fought your leader Odin and easily took him out! This is the power of the Shinpaku Alliance!" cackled Niijima, "Shinpaku!"
Matsui and the rest of the original Shinpaku Alliance who joined during its creation all saluted with the Shinpaku salute joined in by Siegfried.
"I can't lose!" growled Odin as he began to struggle even more violently, "How can I lose to you! I, who was blessed with a sensei with amazing power!"
Kenichi was about to say something or end the fight when he heard Miu call out to him.
"Kenichi, look out!"
Kenichi quickly jumped back just in time as Rimi's dive kick rushed pass his head, scraping off some of his hair.
"Let go of Ryuto-sama!" yelled Rimi as she began to attack Kenichi with a series of kicks, who dodged them all. It wasn't until Miu tossed the badges to Niijima for safekeeping before going in, stopping one of Rimi's kicks with one of her own.
"You'll fight me instead," insisted Miu as the two locked eyes.
"Rimi will be happy with that!" shouted Rimi, "Rimi will show Ryuto-sama that Rimi is stronger than you! Then Ryuto will fall in love with Rimi and not you!"
She began to rain kicks and punches at Miu, who easily deflected them all.
As Kenichi quickly grabbed his meteor hammer and pulled it back, Odin was already standing up, his eyes bloodshot. Kenichi quickly put this meteor hammer away, knowing what was coming.
"I will not lose like this!" shouted Odin, "Strength is everything! Strength is what gathers people, force them to obey, and even destroy! True Martial Arts is to destroy your opponent with a cruel and uncaring fist!"
"You're wrong!" replied Kenichi, "That's just plain violence. Martial Arts is meant to protect others!"
"What a retarded creed," snorted Odin as he ripped his coat and shirt off, "You clearly had idiotic masters if they follow that creed. Let's put that to the test then! All forces, crush the Shinpaku Alliance and all other traitors!"
The gang members quickly obeyed, charging into the fray.
"Yaa, more fighting," cheered Renka as she performed a split kick and slammed two grunts away. She ended up landing right next to Hermit, who had knocked out another grunt, "Bet you I can knock out more people than you."
"You're on," replied Hermit as he charged in.
While the Valkyries maintained their defensive position around Freya, they were joined in by the Shinpaku Alliance to help out.
"Shinpaku slash!" cried Matsui, using his flagpole as a weapon.
"Kehehehe, go my loyal min-... friends! Protect your governor-general!" cackled Niijima.
As the two gangs clashed, Odin began to channel his ki in his body, both Sei and Dou ki. His body began to bulge as muscles hardened and expanded.
"Ryuto, don't!" shouted Kenichi as he noticed what Odin was doing, "Using both Sei and Dou together will just cripple your body, if not your mind too!"
"If I can kill you, then it's worth it!" shouted Odin, the sclera of his eyes changing from white to red. Odin gave a roar and charged towards Kenichi, who instantly put up his Seikuken. Odin's moving Seikuken, his strikes empowered by Dou Ki, eventually shattered Kenichi's and landed several hits on him.
Ogata grinned as he began to take notes of Seidou Gouitsu in action. It was a move he theorized but never attempted himself. Instead, he was happy that one of his students was doing it first so he could learn from it!
Kenichi coughed as he felt several bruises on his chest, but luckily no broken bones. If his masters' 'light punches' didn't break anything, he doubted Ryuto's attack would.
"Geez, your body feels like it's made of lead," said Odin before grinning, "But you can clearly see you're no match for me!"
Kenichi jumped away from Odin's smash, quickly hopping on some garbage piles before making it to the roof of a building, where he closed his eyes to concentrate.
"No point in running!" shouted Odin as he jumped up to the ceiling, "Or did you give up!?"
Kenichi merely continued to take deep breaths as Odin got closer and closer.
"Kenichi-kun!" shouted Takeda, Ukita, Siegfried, and Thor in worry.
"Shirahama!" shouted Hermit as he smacked another grunt down.
"Kenichi!" shouted Renka, clearly worried as she could tell the ki channels in Odin's body would destroy himself, but not before he dealt serious damage. Even she felt if she was going against Odin, she might take some serious damage.
Kenichi exhaled before opening his eyes, locking eyes with Odin as he reduced the barrier of his Seikuken down to a thin layer around his body.
Kenichi had activated Ryusui Seikuken.
Odin's thrust had closed in, almost hitting Kenichi's face when he suddenly dodged it.
"Tch, just a fluke!" shouted Odin as he sent a barrage of strikes, still using the mobile Seikuken.
'Dammit why am I missing!' thought Odin as his eighth strike missed once more, 'Feels like my fists are being sucked into a void!'
Ogata, however, stood up in amazement and shock at what Kenichi was doing.
"That can't be? I've heard about this move, but to see it with my eyes. It's definitely Fuurinji Hayato's Ryusui Seikuken! To think he would teach it to this boy! And that flow. He's keeping up with Ryuto despite Seidou Gouitsu!"
As he witnessed the fight, he made up his mind. Quickly scaling down the crane, he rushed towards Ryuto and Kenichi.
"I can't let this good material escape for me! I'll take them both with me!" grinned Ogata.
Suddenly, he felt killing intent and blocked a kick aiming for his face, followed by two hand strikes from another direction. The strikes themselves couldn't be counted as a palm strike, thrust, or body blow, but something even more confusing.
"This style... I only know one style that uses this type of strike," muttered Ogata as he turned to face his two opponents, "And that killing intent. I know I've felt that somewhere. It's quite familiar. Isn't that the Tenchi Mushin Ryuu?"
"Been a long time, Isshinsai Ogata?" stated Mayu Tanaka, standing alongside with her husband Tsutomu Tanaka.
"Ah the daughter of Kai Mido, Tayu Mido. Or is it Tanaka now?" asked Ogata curiously.
"It's Tanaka," replied Mayu.
"You were planning something with those kids," said Tsutomu, "Whatever it is, it's not a master's place to interfere. Or did you conveniently forget that in your mad pursuit of martial arts?"
"Hmph, hardly. I wanted both of those two as my disciple. But if you're going to get in the way, I'll kill you both!"
The three masters stared at each other, preparing to fight when Ogata raised another question.
"Just for clearance... You're not pregnant again, are you? I'd really hate if I accidentally killed a child," asked Ogata tentatively, "Nor do I really want to make a child an orphan. I'd say you should know better, but since you did charge at me when you were pregnant..."
Mayu blushed crimson and was about to charge in when Tsutomu stopped her.
"Now, now, he raises a good point," said Tsutomu as his wife pouted, "I know we said we would take him down together, but we need to make sure Kairi still has someone. A child needs their mother more than a father."
"How about just not fighting and watching the match?" said Sakaki, suddenly standing next to the Tanakas.
Ogata suddenly found the rest of Ryozanpaku already surrounding him. Though he was still curious why the Elder wasn't nearby. Seeing as he was outnumbered and he knew he would not win, he obediently watched the continuing fight.
James Shiba was still at the shore, not bothering to intervene. It wasn't his disciple that Ogata was after, after all. As long as he didn't take his prize goose….. cough disciple, then he had no quarries. Though he did keep an eye out for him just in case.
"Why can't I hit you!?" shouted Odin in frustration as he missed once more. Most of the fighting had stopped just to see Kenichi dodging Odin's attack with frightening ease. Suddenly, Kenichi's moves seemed to flow along with Odin's move, as if knowing what he would do next.
"Die!" shouted Odin as he struck a dual palm strike at Kenichi's stomach, thinking he had finally gotten a good hit in. That thought died as Kenichi had managed to completely absorb the blow by bending his waist back, his hands and wrists catching Odin's wrists. Kenichi himself was bent over at a 60-degree angle, his body balancing himself by the heels. He had read his opponent's flow, combined his opponent's with his own, and now it was time for Ryuto to be overwhelmed by his flow!
Kenichi's eyes suddenly began to glow, not unlike the masters of martial arts when they released their Ki. Odin himself suddenly felt overwhelmed, being nearest to Kenichi.
'This feeling,' gasped Odin as he swore Kenichi suddenly became larger, 'It feels so similar to my master!'
"I call bullshit!" shouted Ogata in a manner unlike himself, "There is no way he is a disciple, no not even an expert class! He's already at a point that he could be called a master, already using Ki no Shouka!"
James Shiba, back at the shore, felt his cigarette fall from his mouth, his manly mustache now drooping in complete surprise. Now he knew why Takeda felt like it would be almost impossible to catch up to Kenichi. He was already within the realms of experts, possibly nearing Low Master Class. Still, that just meant more motivation for his disciple to catch up if someone younger than him was so strong.
"Well truth be told, he was at the first level, but when he started learning more about Ki, he suddenly flew right past Ki no Kaiho," stated Akisame, slightly brushing his mustache.
"So a prodigy," said Ogata, his brain telling him he desperately wanted Kenichi.
"Something like that," nodded Kensei, "Though in everything else, not so much."
That sent most of Ryozanpaku laughing as the other three stared in confusion, not understanding the joke.
"And people wondered why I didn't want to join Ryozanpaku," muttered Ogata under his breath. He didn't join not only because he believed in the killing fist, but he wanted to retain his sanity.
"Wait, what's he doing now?" asked Mayu suddenly, causing them all to snap their attention back to Kenichi.
Ryusui Strongest Combo 4
Using a mix of all the martial arts he learned, Kenichi began to land several hits onto Odin's body. A karate chop to the chest. A crane fist strike to the abdomen. An elbow strike to the body. A jiu jitsu toss, sending Odin into the air. Kenichi took three steps forward, his hands already up at chest height just as Odin's body fell in front of him.
Ryuusui Mubyoshi
Odin spat out blood as he was sent spiraling away, landing several times on the ceiling before being almost tossed off the ceiling entirely. Luckily, before he did, Kenichi managed to catch up too him and grab his hands before he fell.
"Ryuto-sama!" coughed Rimi, her black dress in shreds from Miu's sharp kicks and punches. Quite a few were ogling at her body, her clothes barely covering that pink slip on her chest.
"Don't get distracted!" lectured Miu as she launched Rimi into the air with a sharp vertical kick, rattling her brains.
Rimi didn't care as she used the momentum to allow her to escape and rush toward Kenichi, intent on hurting him. Kenichi quickly shifted his weight, moving Odin out of danger and into Rimi's awaiting hands when she saw Kenichi moving Odin towards her.
"You killed him, you monster!" cried Rimi as she saw Odin didn't move, "Oh wait, he's still breathing."
"This fight is over!" declared Kenichi as he walked towards the end of the ceiling, "Cease this fighting now!"
Seeing as Odin was defeated, most of the Ragnarok members either laid down their weapons or chose to flee.
"Hehehehe! That's the power of the Shinpaku Alliance!" shouted Niijima to the fleeing members, "Remember that well!"
"Well that ended," noted Sakaki, "So what are you planning to do now?"
Ogata remained silent for a bit before something dropped off his cape.
"Shit, cover your eyes!" shouted Sakaki, noticing just what Ogata had dropped.
A flashbang and smoke filled the area as the masters quickly took defensive positions. Ogata, however, wasn't going for a fight. Instead, he rushed towards to where Odin and Kenichi were. He was confident he could just grab the two and escape fast enough. He had a helicopter on hold just for moments like this. Just as he passed by a building, though, he saw the Elder just waiting there, holding a baby. The simple glance the two passed each other was enough for the Elder to convey his message. Ogata would not be taking Kenichi or he would intervene. And if he intervened, Ogata knew he would lose no matter what and would be unable to even take Odin. He wasn't delusional to think that he could take the Invincible Superman, even if he used Seidou Gouitsu.
As Ogata landed next to Odin, Kenichi didn't seem too surprised to see him there. Ogata looked at Kenichi with a keen eye, very curious about Ryozanpaku's newest disciple. Getting a closer look now, he could see the foundations within the boy was huge, as if someone was building the foundations of a skyscraper with solid materials on solid ground, and that it was already 1/4th of the way built.
"Very curious," pondered Ogata loudly before picking Odin up, "You've won this fight this time."
"Where are you taking Ryuto-sama!?" demanded Rimi, screeching in his ears.
"I'm his master, and I'm taking him to recover," replied Ogata, putting a finger in his ears to make sure he didn't go deaf, "He took quite a beating from young..."
"Shirahama Kenichi," said Kenichi.
"Young Kenichi, not to mention he used Seidou Gouitsu," Ogata continued, "He may not be able to walk again."
"Take me with you then!" demanded Rimi, "I want to be with him when he wakes up!"
Ogata merely stared at Rimi before gesturing her to climb on his back.
"We'll see each other again for sure," grinned Ogata, "I can't wait to see you climb up to the ranks of masters. It'll be very interesting. As a reward for winning, let me just tell you something."
As the Tanaka family landed on the ceiling, along with Ryozanpaku's masters, Ogata gave out his warning.
"Don't think Ryozanpaku will always have the name 'the strongest'. Yami has begun to move."
With that, Ogata ran off into the distance, carrying Odin and Rimi.
"Tch, we'll get you next time!" cursed Mayu before turning to Kenichi, "So you're the newest disciple at Ryozanpaku!"
Kenichi had stiffened as he saw a perfectly healthy and happy Tsutomu standing next to Mayu, as did Miu. Both of them had witnessed Tsutomu's fall to Satsujinken, and then his last battle before being brutally killed by Ogata with an elbow strike to the head.
"Ah, we never introduced ourselves," panicked Tsutomu as he gave Kenichi a business card, "I'm Tsutomu Tanaka, and this is my wife Mayu Tanaka. We're both from the Tenchi Mushin Ryuu school. Though we haven't quite opened for business yet."
"You know, if you're interested in expanding your repertoire of moves," whispered Mayu, "Come join our school. We could use someone like you."
"Now, now, you won't take our disciple from Ryozanpaku," chided the Elder as he appeared behind them all, carrying a baby girl in his hands. The baby was having fun playing with the Elder's beard.
"Come to papa Kairi!" exclaimed Tsutomu as he quickly plucked the baby out of the Elder's hands. While the parents cooed over their child, the Elder managed to position himself next to Miu and Kenichi.
"This... is the gift you two have brought them," said the Elder, using the his Obstructive Lung Voice to avoid being overheard, "A chance for a family to bring in new life."
Miu had to fight off crying tears and Kenichi smiled at the sight of the family.
"By the way, did it work?" asked the Elder.
"I think so," nodded Kenichi, "Each one of my attacks earlier helped clear out and separate the ki that was rubbing against each other. My last attack balanced the two clashing Kis. I don't know how effective my treatment is, but I hope it's enough."
The Elder could only nod in respect, knowing just how difficult it was to use both Ki sets at once, and even harder when trying to balance somebody else's.
"We can only hope for the best," offered the Elder.
"I trust you did it," whispered Miu, giving encouragement to Kenichi, "I believe in you."
Kenichi could only look to the distance at where his old friend Ryuto had gone. He hoped Ryuto would change for the better the next time they saw each other.
"Now this should be far enough," yawned Ogata as he put Odin on the ground, "Geez, you certainly took a beating."
"When will Ryuto-sama wake up?" begged Rimi.
"It might be days," replied Ogata, "His Ki network is in ruins. It'll take awhile."
While Ogata was about to check Odin's pulse, a hand grabbed his wrist.
"You're up already?" asked a shocked Ogata as Odin slowly opened his eyes.
"Ryuto, no Odin-sama," said Rimi, hastily correcting herself.
"It's Ryuto when I'm not wearing the gloves," corrected Ryuto, noticing his gloves were off, "Sensei, tell me the truth. That technique... you were using me as a guinea pig weren't you?"
"You noticed," grinned Ogata.
"I felt my body and my mind decaying the longer I used that technique," growled Ryuto, "I ignored it because I wanted to destroy Kenichi. What're the damages?"
"I have to check first," replied Ogata before shaking his hands off Ryuto's and checking his pulse and various parts of the body.
"Impossible," muttered Ogata as he finished his inspection, "That's impossible. You should've obtained more damage. Theoretically, you shouldn't be able to walk, your Ki ravaged thus turning your hair gray, and your eyes potentially damage, aside from the bruises you got during battle. And yet, the only side effect right now is just a ravaged Ki network and grounded into a wheelchair for now. Impossible... unless that kid is much more adept at Ki no Shouka then I thought! Damn, I really want him now!"
"Explain," demanded Ryuto, hearing the chilling after effects of the technique he just used, "What is Ki no Shouka? I thought there was just Sei and Dou Ki. And why did it feel like I was suddenly fighting someone of your caliber?"
"There are only those two," nodded Ogata, deciding not to mention a few exceptions, "But there are levels of controlling your Ki. You're just skimming the first level, Ki no Hatsudo, or invoking of Ki. But your friend there is already on the third and final level. Even people at master level class cannot utilize this as well as your rival. I might say he might even give me a run for my money, though his body and experience is nowhere close. But why would he heal you... unless... of course, he's Katsujinken."
"What does that mean?" asked Rimi.
"Ryozanpaku follows the creed of Katsujinken, a practice where a martial arts practitioner will not kill, even at the risk of their own life. I saw and heard your conversation during your fight. He knew, somehow, about this technique and its danger, whether it just be by glancing at your body or something else. So when he fought you, his last few attacks not only damaged you to knock you unconscious and ending the fight, but he managed to help balance your Ki network so as to mitigate the damage as much as possible," explained Ogata before howling in laughter, "Such an outrageous disciple Ryozanpaku is certainly raising! I'm more interested in how far he'll come!"
As a helicopter arrived for Ogata to take them all, Ogata promised to train them both as much as he could. Ryuto, however, couldn't help but think back to Kenichi. He could have completely dominated the fight early on. So why didn't he? Why risk his life to make sure he was alright?
As Ryuto pondered about this, a small note fell out of his pocket. Quickly grabbing it, he noticed the something written on it.
Because I'm your friend – Kenichi
'Damn idiot,' scowled Ryuto before tossing the letter away. However, in his heart, something was planted deep down.
As Ogata lifted Ryuto up and placed him on the helicopter, Rimi volunteered to have Ryuto's head on her lap, despite her clothes falling apart. As Ryuto began to drift off to sleep, he told himself in his mind he certainly did not see those pink nipples that Rimi seemed to be purposely flashing him.
Everyone went back to their peaceful lives for the moment, back to training. Niijima had kept track of everyone from the disbanded Ragnarok, but Berserker after a few days suddenly disappeared. Unable to track him, Niijima put that aside, thinking he had gotten into Yomi. Loki, after a few conversations, became his personal detective and spy when Loki opened up his detective agency.
Meanwhile, back with the History's Strongest Disciple at Ryozanpaku...
"GYAAA!" cried Kenichi as he was forced on a treadmill while punching a wooden target. He was tied to a new contraption that should he miss, was too slow, or tripped, would pull him back into an iron board cackling with electricity, all self-powered by his own actions.
"You didn't think we'd really let you take it easy even after defeating Ragnarok did you?" chuckled Akisame as he flipped another page in his book. While he was reading, he was also strengthening his overall body with several Jizo weights he had made himself.
"With Ogata back with Yami, you can be sure they know all about you now," piped Kensei as he practiced against a wooden dummy usually used by Chinese martial artists.
"Most likely, they're going to push their own disciples to the extreme, or even send experts against you," added Sakaki as he kicked a steel girder, slightly denting it.
"Apapa, Apachai knows Agaard might just spar against you just for interest!" grinned Apachai as he juggled bowling balls with his knee.
Kenichi tripped at that statement and was pulled back into the iron board, getting shocked once more.
"Apachai!" scolded Miu as she came out with snacks, "Don't say such ominous things!"
"But... he's right...," said Shigure from the ceiling, "Yami will... not stay... still."
"Hmm, so we should plan this out," shrugged the Elder, "All in favor of the original plan, 'Deal with it when it comes!'?"
"Aye!" shouted all the masters as their eyes glowed in agreement.
"I hate you all so much," groaned Kenichi as he managed to pry himself off the board.
"Well, we do have some time before anything major come in," said Miu, "We fought Ragnarok two weeks earlier from the last timeline."
"Hello, Ryozanpaku!" shouted someone from the entrance.
Taking a peek outside, they all saw the Tanaka family had come to visit.
"Aww, who's a cute baby?" stated Miu, using baby talk as she was playing with Kairi Tanaka, Mayu and Tsutomu's daughter.
"So this is Ryozanpaku's newest disciple," smiled Mayu as Kenichi helped serve some tea, noticing that his whole body was still smoking, "Quite the prodigy you guys found. Not like my Tsutomu."
"Hmm I don't know," mused Tsutomu, "He kind of gives off the same vibe as me. I can tell he's in love with the master of the dojo's granddaughter. He feels like he was dunked into the martial arts world rather than slowly introduced into it."
"Yea... something like that," coughed Kenichi to the side, remembering his first underground field trip in the past timeline.
"You know, if you're ever interested in branching out a bit, take a visit to our dojo," suggested Mayu, "I know, you're a disciple of Ryozanpaku. But it wouldn't hurt since you're already learning a variety of styles."
"Hmm, how about a sparring match instead?" suggested the Elder, throwing Kenichi into the 'fire'. "I'm sure you're curious about just how skilled he is."
"Ooh, that would be fun!" stated Mayu with a smile, "I'll go up against him!"
"Now, now, knowing you, you won't hold back," said Tsutomu, "Even if he is able to use Ki no Shouka. Though he could teach us a bit in that department a little. But you have a lot more experience than him. How about I go up against him instead."
"Eh, good enough," shrugged Mayu as she sat back down while hugging her child, "Oh, are you hungry now? Here, let mommy feed you!"
"Honey, wait!" shouted Tsutomu as Mayu pulled up her shirt without hesitation, snapping her bra off to reveal...
Kenichi did not see anymore as Miu as poked his eyes. However, even that was too late as he saw those red tips.
Sakaki turned around in embarrassment while drinking his beer. Akisame remained unfazed as he was a doctor, and was used to the human body and did not ogle. Breastfeeding was just part of nature. Apachai didn't know what was happening and went off to go play with his ant friends. Kensei would've taken photos, but he was busy dodging shurikens from Shigure. The Elder merely coughed before deciding to move so as to block the view from Kensei.
"Sorry about that," apologized Tsutomu as he and Kenichi stood across from each other after Mayu finished breastfeeding Kairi.
"It's alright," said a dopey face Kenichi before shaking himself out of it. Tanaka was wearing glasses, but he knew, unlike Ryuto, Tanaka was more than capable of defending himself.
"Alright, let the match between Shirahama Kenichi and Tsutomu Tanaka begin!" declared the Elder, choosing to be the judge.
'Let's test him out,' thought Tsutomu.
Kazoe Nukite
Tsutomu launched a four finger jab towards Kenichi, part of a combo where it could void any defenses.
Shiraha Nagashi
Kenichi countered with a corkscrew punch, applying the anti-weapon attack. Tsutomu's attack slid along Kenichi's hand while he himself dodged the punch from Kenichi.
"Hoo, not bad," noted Mayu, "To able to deflect the first part of Kazoe Nukite without leaving himself open to the next combo. But it doesn't look like he got away perfectly."
Indeed, Kenichi winced as his arm sent a wave of pain to his brain. It felt like he had been stabbed by a blade.
'He's much faster and stronger than the last time I sparred with him,' noted Kenichi, 'Being with his family certainly has made him happier and stronger. I can no longer see that uncertainty back in the last timeline.'
"Looks like I'll have to take this up a notch," smiled Tsutomu before going in again at blinding speed.
Kenichi immediately set up his Seikuken, deflecting Tsutomu's attack before switching to Ryusui Seikuken to continue blocking his attacks.
As the fight continued, Miu decided to approach Mayu.
"Hey, nice fight back there," said Mayu, "That girl really wasn't much a match against you, though. Oh, and call me Mayu."
"Mayu-san, I was hoping to ask you for a favor," said Miu earnestly.
"Well, then spit it out," smiled Mayu.
"I want to spar against you!" declared Miu.
"Well, I can't refuse such an eager request," grinned Mayu eagerly, "But let's do it after the men knock themselves out."
Back with Kenichi and Tsutomu, Kenichi found himself being pushed into a corner. This Tsutomu Tanaka was no longer in the expert class around this time but firmly entrenched in the Master Class. He ducked under a double neck chop from Tsutomu and tried to land a gut punch, only for Tsutomu to block it before kicking Kenichi in the head. Kenichi twisted his neck to neutralize the damage as much as possible while quickly scooting back, only for his back to hit a wall. Tsutomu was already capitalizing on this, intent on ending the match.
'Now or never!' thought Kenichi as he raised his hands up in the air. It was a move that he had attempted to use against Kajima as a counter. Except for this time, he was adding a whole new twist onto it. The Sei Ki that he had around his body dispersed, only to be suddenly replaced with Dou Ki. His whole body seemed to harden.
As Kenichi's hand began their descent, his attack was interrupted by an elbow to his liver and diaphragm, disrupting his concentration before a knockout blow to the head.
"Whew, that would've been scary," acknowledged Tsutomu as he wiped off some sweat, "But it's quite surprising the kid can switch Ki types. Though he needs more practice with Dou Ki if he wants to use it in battle. It took too long for him to channel it. Though you're not thinking of having him use both at once are you? Like that young kid did back at the abandoned warehouse?"
He gave a light glare to the Elder, who shook his head.
"I forbade Kenichi from ever doing so. Kenichi is mostly a Sei type user, but he learned Dou Ki to help his friend. That technique, Seidou Gouitsu, is dangerous to one's self, even more so to an untrained body. Kenichi didn't want his friend disabled, so by learning how both Ki work and interact, he was able to help balance out his friend's Ki network. Though he may come up with a new Ki type like I did."
"So a direct disciple from you," chuckled Tsutomu, "But how did he know about Seidou Gouitsu?"
"That is a secret you'll have to learn some other time," said the Elder mysteriously, "But for now, let's watch how my granddaughter fares against your wife."
The two women bowed to each other and got into fighting position. As soon as the fight started, they clashed, fist against fist. Miu released her Dou Ki, going all out while Mayu merely smirked.
Kenichi slowly opened his eyes as he stared at the familiar wooden ceiling of Ryozanpaku once more. He remembered his fight against Tsutomu and a kick to the head that knocked him out. He managed to slowly lift his body out of the futon just to notice Miu with her head on his body. Kenichi frowned as he noticed her shoulders bruised and bandaged. Apparently, her spar had not been gentle either. He managed to maneuver himself and put Miu in the futon and was about to leave when a hand grabbed his wrist.
"Stay with me, please," whispered Miu. When she had a small nap from being smacked in the head from Mayu, she also had a nightmare. A dream where Kenichi ceased to exist, kidnapped by Yami. She knew it was a possibility with the timeline being changed. She thought of how Tsutomu, comparing the present to the past timeline, and how just different they were. A world without her boyfriend, her light in the darkness, terrified her. Kenichi was her first real friend, later best friend, before becoming special to her, one who helped her master her Dou Ki and repel the darkness.
Kenichi didn't give much of an argument, as he was still trying to fight off a headache. He crawled back into the futon with Miu, and the two cuddled each other to sleep.
Just outside the room, the Tanaka couple were doing their best to stop the Elder from bursting into the room to separate them. The rest of Ryozanpaku were also doing their best to help out. Kairi was left giggling on the floor with some toys. Tochumaru and Noir were left on guard duty with Kairi.
"Oh c'mon old man, it's not like they're doing anything naughty!" hissed Sakaki as he pulled on the Elder's arm, "They're just cuddling!"
"But that can easily lead to something else!" wailed the Elder as he managed to take another step forward. Quite frankly, they were all surprised Miu and Kenichi had not come out to investigate what was going on.
"You were just praising Kenichi at how loyal he was to Miu despite my own daughter's attempts at seduction," said Kensei, "You know you can trust the boy not to do anything stupid. And it's not like Miu can't defend herself."
"Apapa, Kenichi is a good person," added Apachai.
"Elder, don't be such a hypocrite!" reprimanded Mayu, causing the Elder to actually stop, "You stopped my father from interfering my dates with my Tsutomu. So why are you interfering with your own granddaughter's love life? Do you regret me getting with my husband?"
"Of course not," placated the Elder, "It's just that... well... I don't want to be a great-grandfather soon, considering your situation. I mean, I may have interfered a little too much in your case"
This actually caused both Mayu and Tsutomu to blush crimson at this.
"Well I'm sure they won't start that early," said Tsutomu, "I mean, they look like smart kids."
"What does that say about us?" pouted Mayu.
"Mayu, be honest, we weren't aiming for a baby so early," said Tsutomu, "In fact, you were the one who pushed me down and rode me throughout the night after drinking so much sake for being able to land a knockout hit on your father."
"Well you could've stopped me," said Mayu shyly, poking her fingers against each other.
"Mayu, dear, I could never stop you from getting what you want," smirked Tsutomu, "Your father and I could never refuse whatever you wanted. I did say no, but you just forced your way into my room before demanding satisfaction. You didn't even let me slip on protection, saying you didn't want anything in between us."
Mayu jabbed Tsutomu in the ribs for that comment, causing him to wince in pain.
"Hey, now, be careful," cautioned Akisame, "Tsutomu actually took a hit from our disciple during the spar. It would not bode well to aggravate it."
"Yea, your disciple has a strong kick," winced Tsutomu as he lifted his shirt to gingerly poke at the bruise on his ribs. Kenichi had managed to land a snap kick during their spar before being hit by Tanaka's Kazoe Nukite two finger strike, "What about you Mayu? I saw you take some good hits."
"They were a bit shallow, but they were still solid hits," nodded Mayu as she touched her stomach and thighs, "Miu's getting close to being able to use Ki no Shouka. She's just barely touching it now. These two kids are definitely prodigies. Even I didn't have nearly as much control of my Ki at 18 despite already being in the Master Class."
'Probably because those two are technically older than the both of you,' thought the members of Ryozanpaku.
Eventually, the Elder allowed the two to nap together, though Tochumaru and Noir were on look out duty for anything naughty.
After Tanaka family left, the Elder decided to ask Kenichi when they woke up, "Did you want to tell them about the truth and how you changed the future? They are grateful for me intervening, but I feel more of the credit should belong to you three."
Kenichi shook his head, "As long as they're happy, it's good enough. Maybe in the future, we'll let them know, but for now, leave it alone."
A week later, at a luxury cruise ship, Ogata stood at the dining room with one other person.
"Tenmon Li, welcome to Japan. I am Isshinsai Ogata. Let me hand you something before you enter Japan."
With a flick of his wrist, he sent a card flying towards the other man, who blocked it casually with a wine bottle that he was pouring into his wine glass to drink.
"Hoo, is this a license to kill?" asked Tenmon.
"Now, now, nothing like that," chuckled Ogata, "It's just one of Yami's passports."
"Hmm, alright then," smirked Tenmon, "Ryozanpaku, was it? That should be interesting. I'll have my disciple sent out to deal with theirs."
"Ah, that may not be a wise choice," said Ogata quickly, "No need for haste. I was hoping you would be willing to work with another group before assaulting Ryozanpaku."
"Hmph. I'm not sure why you would need another group, but I will listen," frowned Tenmon.
"Sparna, the leader of Yomi, is currently talking with a group of martial artists on my behalf who are from the Zanshin Taisha style. I was hoping for them to assault Ryozanpaku while you, yourself, personally take the disciple for me. His name is Shirahama Kenichi, and I wish to mold him to become an even better fighter."
"Hoo, ambitious, aren't you? Wanting to take him for yourself? He must be really talented to catch your eyes," said an amused Tenmon, "Very well, I will cooperate with this other group."
"Excellent," smiled Ogata, "It will take about another week before everything will be ready. In the meantime, you can always send your disciple out to train against other gang members to expand Yomi
."
A few days later
"Oh, Sakaki, someone from the Japanese police department wants to see you," said Miu.
"Ah, a job," grinned Sakaki, "Have them meet me in my room."
As soon as the talks with the police, with Inspector Honmaki as the representative, was finished, Ryozanpaku's masters gathered in the meeting room once more.
"So should I take Kenichi with me?" asked Sakaki, "Apparently last time I did. Wouldn't hurt to take him again, you know, to prevent the whole... butter effect."
"That's the butterfly effect," corrected Akisame, "And I'm not so sure we should. The last time in the timeline, we did so to plunge Kenichi into this world. Now that he has, it's a bit pointless. Not only that, but we risk Kenichi's skill being known throughout the whole world. Yami may know a bit, but I would bet Ogata will be holding back on some details."
"Hm, and from what I've heard from the rumors, the assassin is Christopher Eclair. He might take an interest in Kenichi and steal him just to get at me for trying to bury him with the power shovel. Though it was his fault for trying to kill me," mused Sakaki, causing a few sweatdrops to come out.
"But another trip like this could strengthen him," offered Kensei, "We don't know when Yomi will attack."
"I say we should let Kenichi decide," stated the Elder as he opened the door, revealing Kenichi and Miu, "What do you think?"
"I want to go," said a resolved Kenichi, "We can't depend on the timeline for Yami's first attack to be the same day as last time. The more experience I can get, the better prepared I'll be."
While saying this, his legs were visibly shaking for them all to see.
"I'm going with him," declared Miu, "If I'm there, I might be able to draw some eyes away."
The Elder wanted to disagree, but a sharp look from Miu told him that this was her choice.
"Alright then," grinned Sakaki as he chopped a beer bottle's top away, "Looks like I'm bringing you two with me."
"Kenichi?" asked Miu as she wore her tight purple skin suit as usual, despite the fact that outlined her chest as well as her nipples. She never liked wearing any underwear, as they felt too constrictive. Something her grandfather told her that she shared with her mother.
"Yes?" asked Kenichi as he tied his belt.
"You sure you want to do this?" asked Miu, "Sakaki can easily take care of this mission himself. There's no point in putting yourself in more danger. Not to mention Yomi could attack at any moment. Raichi Li and Tenmon Li could attack Shinpaku while we're doing this, and we'd be unable to do anything. The Zanshin Ryu group might try as well."
"If it helps, you can always stay behind to look out for them," said Kenichi softly.
Miu shook her head, "I want to be with you. If I can help you, then it's worth it."
"I did discuss with Niijima about this before," smiled Kenichi, "He says that he already has several contingency plans ready and is prepared for them without us being here."
"That's good to hear," admitted Miu, "Hopefully we'll be back before then."
"Kenichi?" asked Miu once more when she, Sakaki, and Kenichi arrived at a mansion.
"Yes Miu, this happened before," sighed Kenichi.
"I guess I should be used to this," shrugged Miu, "Grandfather's reception to some places was quite similar to this."
They were currently surrounded by four men wielding swords while wearing a suit and sunglasses, along with varying tattoos and hairstyles.
[Who the hell are you guys?] questioned one of the guards, [We asked for an escort, and we get three unarmed people who call themselves martial artists.]
[Hmph, if they are here to help, then we should test them! If they get beaten by us, then they're useless!] said another as he raised his sword up into the air.
[Wait!] said Kenichi, using English. With the help of Niijima, Miu, and later on Akisame, he was a bit more fluent in English now. He noted that English was more commonly used abroad, and decided to take some time to learn more about it. Not to mention some of the stories he read, like Shakespeare, were more commonly written in English, and there were a few translation errors when converted to Japanese.
[We are not your enemy!] continued Kenichi, [We were requested here by the Japanese Police!]
[A likely story!] growled the guard, [Then prove to us you can fight Japanese!]
[Guys, you should know something,] smirked Sakaki before suddenly lashing out, punching and kicking each bodyguard once, [You should've brought more men and swords.]
"Sakaki, you should say that before you knock them out," lectured Miu.
"Not like it makes a difference," mumbled Kenichi before they heard someone clapping.
"Bravo, bravo," stated a man with a narrow face and combed back dirty blonde hair, "As expected of the famous 100-dan street brawler Shio Sakaki."
"If it isn't the famous weapons dealer Gauche Wynn," replied Sakaki, "Are these swords the best you could afford?"
He easily snapped one in half to show just how shoddy it was.
"Now, now, I'm merely a trader, operating in accordance with the law," smirked Gauche, "As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Minutes later, they were all in the dining room, hashing out the details of the bodyguard job. When asked about Miu and Kenichi, Sakaki waved it off, saying that they could take care of themselves. Just as they were about to leave, Kenichi whispered something into Sakaki's ears.
"Hoo, you know, I knew Christopher Eclair for a good while," mused Sakaki as they all paused, "His women that he surrounds himself with all use the same perfume as he does. Isn't that right, little spy?"
The woman acting as Gauche's assistant quickly stomped on her heel, allowing a knife to slide out of the platform below the toebox. She immediately tried to stab Gauche in the head, only for an object to suddenly slam into her ankle, giving the bodyguards next to Gauche time to tackle him to safety. The female spy glared at Kenichi, who had thrown the meteor hammer to interfere. Seeing as the cause was lost, she dove out of the window and began running away.
"Get her!" shouted Gauche as he managed to get back up.
"Forget it, she'll be long gone by the time your men can start moving," said Sakaki.
"Well then why don't you get her!?" shouted Gauche.
"I only agreed to be your bodyguard," glared Sakaki, "Not your dog. If you want someone to fetch, ask somebody else."
Sakaki allowed some of his Ki to leak out to reinforce his message, causing Gauche to nod nervously in agreement.
[So you were discovered?] said Christopher over a phone in French.
[Yes,] replied the spy, [The bodyguard he hired is Shio Sakaki, along with two children. Possibly disciples of his. He recognized me by my perfume.]
[Ah yes, he would recognize it. Do not worry, my little butterfly, we have three full days to kill him. We have enough time as well as backup plans. Did you plant the tracer?] asked Christopher.
[Of course. It's in his personal pistol that he always carries with him. The fool would never realize it.] replied the spy.
Two days later
Back at the Shinpaku headquarters, Niijima was already preparing the defenses around Kisara's headquarters. He had purchased it from her father and was already making plans for renovations and such. Kenichi and Miu were still with Sakaki on the bodyguard mission, and so far nothing seemed to be happening for them. However, Yomi had already begun their invasion.
Several gangs were being ruthlessly crushed by two females and one male, who had been codenamed Spark and Shadows. Spark was due to how flashy one female fought, who caused bright flashes of light when she scraped the ground. The other two were named Shadow due to the fact they seemed to fight in the dark.
Even Thor's combative Sumo group had been crushed, though Thor himself had not been there to fight.
"They'll be coming here soon," sighed Niijima as he gazed towards the sky, "I was hoping Kenichi and Miu would be finished with their little job soon, but no matter. I have contingency plans on the ready."
"Lalalala, do not worry my lord," sang Siegfried as he twirled around before serving him a drink, "I am sure whatever comes, we can handle ittt!"
Suddenly, the alarms inside the room began to ring. A second later, a video feed popped up to show three intruders rushing into the courtyard before starting a fight with Matsui and the others.
"All commanders and vice commanders, report to the courtyard immediately," shouted Niijima into a microphone, "Yomi's Spark and Shadows have come looking for a fight!"
'Looks like we'll have to deal with this without Kenichi,' thought Niijima as he too ran towards the courtyard.
Ta daa! Next chapter will be much longer. And in case some of you are wondering, I am combining the Kenichi ep OVA 1 into the story, despite it never being in the manga itself. And oh how the timeline differs with the defeat of Ragnarok so early! What will happen next, muhahahaha!
Also trying to think of a way to get Ukita stronger. I bounced a few ideas with Third Fang, and I think I have my answer! Find out next time!
And cheers to those who noticed my Eyeshield 21 reference!