Hope you guys are doing well! Hard to believe it's been more than 2 1/2 years since I started this story and more than halfway through the manga with this story.
Anways, I'd like to introduce one of my newest beta readers, StevenBodner.
Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Patrons gets to read my stories a week early.
This story has been beta by TheReader2011, Steven Badner and ZShaq
"Yah!"
"Hya!"
Kenichi and Miu sparred against each other in the middle of Ryozanpaku under the watchful eyes of the masters.
"Hard to believe that you've come a long way since we first met," smiled Miu as she ducked under a fist, quickly pouncing onto Kenichi on all fours with Silat, only for Kenichi to counter by throwing her off, "Now I'm the one who's having to catch up to you in some areas."
"I made a promise to become stronger so I can protect you. I intend to keep it," grinned Kenichi as his eyes glowed with Ki, utilizing his mastery of Ki no Shouka.
Miu responded by igniting her own Dou Ki, her eyes glowing with Ki too as she reached Ki no Shouka. Compared to Kenichi's, hers was a bit more unstable, but it was constantly improving as the days went by.
"Ok, you two can stop flirting in the middle of sparring again," stated Sakaki, causing the two to falter and blush, "It's already past two. You still need to go grocery shopping, right? The sale starts in a few minutes."
"Oh, that's right!" nodded Miu as she quickly strode away to change clothes. Just because Ryozanpaku was in a more stable financial position didn't mean that they could miss a chance to save more money on groceries.
Hours later
"I can't believe we forgot about this," blinked Kenichi as he and Miu stood inside the bank, where a bank robbery was currently taking place.
"At least this time, we won't be unprepared," huffed Miu as she got ready to attack the robbers.
The entrance suddenly opened, causing one of the robbers to lecture the other about securing the entrance.
"Yes honey, I'll be home soon. Just need to finish up some business with the bank. I love you too. And tell Kairi that I love her too," said Tsutomu as he walked into the bank, ignoring the robbers while talking on the phone.
This, of course, irked the robbers. One of them quickly jabbed his gun to Tsutomu's head, demanding that he turn around slowly. Tsutomu, "playing along" turned, though much too fast for the robber's liking. Tsutomu merely smiled as he "slowly" put his hands up while also bending the metal rifle so the barrel was pointing back at the robber.
Before the robbers could react to this threat, Kenichi and Miu jumped in, knocking out two robbers each. The last one stared at his downed allies and the broken gun before quietly kneeling down, putting his hands behind his head before surrendering. The last robber, who had been inside the vault, saw all his goons down and tried to point his pistol at the heroes, only for Tsutomu to suddenly strike him at his chest. Despite wearing a bulletproof vest, Tsutomu easily destroyed it with Kazoe Nukite.
"It's been a while," greeted Tsutomu with a wave.
"Tanaka-san," greeted both Miu and Kenichi with a polite bow.
"How's your family doing?" asked Miu.
"My wife Mayu is fine, and so is Kairi," smiled Tsutomu, causing both Miu and Kenichi to smile at that. Seeing him alive and happy with his family in this timeline was heartwarming for the two time travelers.
The police soon arrived and dealt with the robbers, filing the report under the Ryozanpaku file.
"Well, now with that over, how about you two come over to my dojo for dinner tonight? We're having Shabu-shabu tonight and would love the company," offered Tsutomu, "The Elder is welcome to come too."
"We'd love to come," smiled Miu, "Let me ask my grandfather before we say anything, though."
"Alright, just give us a ring, and we'll set the extra plates," waived Tsutomu as he left.
A few hours later, Miu, Kenichi, and the Elder were standing in front of the Tenchi Mushin Ryu dojo.
"Welcome! I'm glad you could come!" greeted Mayu, opening the door for them, "Come on in!"
"I see the dojo is in good condition," hummed the Elder as he looked around. The last time he had been here was the fight between Ogata and Kai with the dojo on fire.
"All thanks to my husband," nodded Mayu, "He oversaw the whole reconstruction."
"Ah, you're here," smiled Tsutomu from the kitchen as they walked into the dining hall, "Kairi is already seated. Kairi, say hi to our guest."
"Hi," babbled Kairi from her highchair, causing Miu to squeal at how cute Kairi, who was roughly two years old already, was.
"Come, come, let's eat first," offered Mayu as Tsutomu pulled up a chair for his wife.
They all quickly sat down to eat, throwing in the meat and other ingredients into the pot before talking about a few random subjects.
"That was delicious," complimented Kenichi as he patted his stomach and leaning back on his chair.
"Thank you for the meal," thanked Miu.
"It was nothing," waved off Mayu as she hugged Kairi, who was starting to nod off to sleep, "Let me put Kairi to bed."
"We wouldn't want to trespass on your hospitality any longer, so we should go," suggested Elder.
"You're not trespassing anything! You're always welcomed here! Please, stay for some tea at least," offered Tsutomu quickly, "I just recently got a new batch of tea leaves that I've been meaning to brew."
Seeing no harm in that, they agreed to stay for tea.
"Mmm, this smells good," smiled Mayu as she sniffed the tea that Tsutomu poured for them all.
"I'm glad it's up to your standards," said Tsutomu as he sat down next to his wife, who immediately snuggled up to him.
"It's good to see you two are still lovey-dovey as ever," complimented the Elder as he sipped his tea, "Are you two going to give Kairi a younger brother or sister?"
"That's the plan," nodded Mayu as she stopped cuddling with Tsutomu for a second, "But first, there's something I want to ask you, Elder."
Tsutomu and Mayu glanced at each other, nodding as one before Mayu continued, "How did you know I was pregnant in that fight against Ogata?"
The Elder gulped at this before coughing into his fist to buy some time before replying, "I could hear the heartbeat of the fetus inside your womb!"
"Try again," deadpanned Mayu, "You may be the 'Superman' Furinji, but I doubt your hearing is that good."
"Err... Kai told me?" tried the Elder once more.
"My father swore to secrecy about my pregnancy when he learned about it, and you only met him only a few days before his fight against Ogata Isshinsai. And even then, he couldn't have told you then, as I was there. So then, Elder, once more. How did you know?"
The Elder looked away to the side, whistling as he did so. His eyes, however, strayed over Miu and Kenichi, who was also looking rather focused on their cup of tea. Both Tsutomu and Mayu caught this and immediately looked at the two time travelers, their eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"I heard from a fortune-teller?" tried the Elder once more.
"It has to do with the two kids, doesn't it?" accused Mayu bluntly.
"Mayu, there's no need to be that direct," sighed Tsutomu, "But we would like to know how you all knew."
The trio looked at each other, figuring out what to do.
"Should we just tell them?" asked the Elder, using Obstructive Lung Voice to prevent himself from being overheard.
Miu and Kenichi looked at each other, debating on what to do. In the end, it was Miu who made the decision when she placed her hand over Kenichi's hand, gently gripping it as she did so. Kenichi sighed as he took a sip of his tea, remembering what Miu's father, Saiga, had said. That sooner or later, the truth would have to come out.
"You're right, the Elder learned it from us. Or rather, me specifically," sighed Kenichi.
"Oh? Were you someone who was in the waiting room when our doctor told us my wife was pregnant?" asked Tsutomu in curiosity, "Though I don't remember seeing someone like you there."
Though visits to the doctor were a private affair, Mayu had not been subtle when she got the news she was pregnant. Indeed, the first thing she did when she was told she was going to have a child was to burst out into the waiting room and yelled that she was pregnant. Tsutomu had to chase after her, though he did take note of who was in the waiting room that day, and none of the faces he saw matched Kenichi.
"No, it's rather much more complicated than that," sweatdropped Kenichi.
"What, you saw the future?" said Mayu sarcastically as she drank her tea.
"In a manner of speaking, yes," replied Miu, causing Mayu to suddenly choke on her tea.
"Say what?" blinked Tsutomu, "Please speak clearly about this. It makes it sounds like you two either traveled to the future and back, or you came from the future."
"The latter portion," replied Kenichi automatically, causing the Tanaka couple to freeze in place.
"What?" said Mayu weakly.
The tea had been exchanged for something much harder for the Tanaka family as a way to cope with the news of what their future would have been if the Elder had not intervened.
"My beloved Mayu... my daughter Kairi... gone?" gasped Tsutomu as he stared up into the ceiling, unable to imagine the horror of being a widow.
"That fight... it would've killed me if you hadn't intervened," accused Mayu as she downed another cup of sake before going back to cuddling with Tsutomu, fearing for his life now. She was horrified that her husband had to lose both her and their child. She was even more horrified when Kenichi told them that Tsutomu had to grapple with falling into Satsujinken and that his only vice was using an automated phone service line to call him and making him believe that he was talking to his wife.
"Yea, that sounds like something I'd probably do," admitted Tsutomu after some self-reflection, "Losing my wife, unborn child, father-in-law/master, and the dojo where all my memories and dreams came to fruition, I'd go crazy."
"Well you're not doing that this time!" huffed Mayu as she hugged her husband harder, causing him to squeak in pain, "I'm still here! Kairi is still here! Our dojo is alive and kicking, thanks to you! Though our father isn't here anymore, I'm sure he wouldn't want you to mope in misery."
"You're right," sighed Tsutomu as he managed to raise his hand to pat Mayu's head, "You're all here now. And I don't plan to let go of my family anytime soon."
Tsutomu turned his head towards Kenichi and Miu, his eyes red from the horrors that would've happened if the Elder didn't intervene, before managing to bow, "Thank you, for saving my wife and child."
"Thank you for helping us avoid that future," agreed Mayu.
"It's the least I could do," replied Kenichi, "I couldn't watch your family be torn apart if I could help avoid it."
As the Elder, Kenichi, and Miu left, Mayu and Tsutomu quickly showered before going to where their precious Kairi was, who was deeply asleep. The two of them crawled into the bed, each of them positioned next to Kairi's side before putting their hands on her heart, relishing the warmth they felt. The two of them fell asleep cuddling Kairi, as if they were afraid she would disappear.
Few days later
Kenichi and Miu were at the Shinpaku main base, hanging out with their friends. Takeda, Tsuji, and Kisara were practicing their moves on a punching bag. Ukita and Siegfried were playing cards with Kenichi and Miu. All seemed peaceful when Niijima announced a surprise training session. Before they could ask, the Valkyries all attacked them. While the Valkyries showed remarkable improvement, none of them were able to successfully land a hit on the commanders of the Shinpaku Alliance. Even Ukita, who had been easily caught by Yuriko, the whip user in the last timeline, dodged the whip with ease. Tsuji, once more, didn't understand the situation and laughed as he tanked several hits from the weapons the Valkyries wielded. It was only when Thor walked in and ordered the girls to sheath their weapons did they obey.
It was there that Thor explained that Freya's grandfather, Kugatachi Danki, had been coaching him and the Valkyries. However, everything changed when Freya and her grandfather had been kidnapped yesterday by Yami. They had threatened the grandfather to join Yami or risk his granddaughter's life and friends. Siegfried immediately interpreted it as the Yami Armed Division having the power to kill them, the Shinpaku Alliance, whenever they wanted to, thus making them hostages. Seeing that they were being underestimated, all of them clenched their fist as they began to plan the counterattack.
Just as before, only Shigure was available at Ryozanpaku. As for the Valkyries, only Chisato Ayazaki had been allowed to accompany them when Shigure tested their resolve and skills with a plastic toy sword she had been playing with. She instantly slashed all their clothes into pieces once more, but Chisato had been the only one to even remotely react with her tonfa, no matter how slow it had been. Niijima, the ever so prepared strategist, had backup clothes for the girls so they wouldn't have to run in the streets naked to change.
Niijima quickly pulled up Freya's location in his PDA, quickly tracking her location via phone before they all rushed out of Ryozanpaku. Shigure arrived first by jumping on various vehicles.
Meanwhile, with Freya, she worriedly looked at her grandpa, who seemingly didn't know her. The guards around her couldn't help but wonder if the old man was senile and if this much security was truly needed. The man was already past 90 and didn't seem like he could even hurt anyone if he tried.
"We're going to move the old man now. Everyone get ready," ordered Agaard as he entered the room. The guards, who were a part of the Yami Armed Division, couldn't help but stand straight and obey his orders despite the rivalry between the Armed and Unarmed Divisions.
"After we've transferred him, we'll be returning back to base," finished Agaard, "Hopefully with more guards, this'll be fast."
"Yes sir!" saluted the guards. Another thing that confused them was that Agaard had requested the guards to be doubled, though they didn't know why. But they couldn't refuse, and so twice the amount of guards were on duty.
"Everyone ready?" asked Kenichi as he tightened his gauntlets.
"Come on, what are we waiting for? Let's go kick some ass!" shouted Kisara, "I'm worried about Freya."
"For once, I'm in agreement with you," nodded Chisato as she spun her tonfa.
"I'd agree but..." muttered Ukita before looking at Takeda, who nodded in agreement with his thought process.
"Assaulting such a normal building like this feels awkward. We might get the cops called on us," finished Takeda.
"We won't need to," waved off Niijima. Miu immediately stopped Shigure from infiltrating inside the building, knowing what was coming next.
"She'll be right over... there," stated Niijima, pointing off to the side. Just as he pointed at a specific area, Freya, Danki, Agaard, and six guards, three more from last time.
In an instant, Agaard and Shigure launched themselves at each other, attacking and parrying each other's attacks in the air.
"A truck! They're trying to take her away!" shouted Kisara as she began to run towards the guards, only to stop when they all unsheathed their swords.
"Everyone! These guys are serious! Just run and don't worry about me!" warned Freya as she struggled to get herself free.
The Shinpaku Alliance stopped, slightly nervous about going headfirst into people with swords when Kenichi rushed right past them, knocking out one of the guards with a punch to the face.
"The hell!" shouted another guard as he tried to attack Kenichi, only for Kenichi to block it with his gauntlet. In the next second, Kenichi kneed the man in the stomach. The third guard tried to stab Kenichi, but Kenichi instantly shifted his weight, taking the man he kneed and hurling him into the third guard.
"Son of a-!" muttered the third guard as he tried to quickly get up, only to feel a palm being placed on his head.
"Say good night," grinned Tsuji as he used Koppou to smash the guard into the concrete, "Man that's fun! Can't hesitate when it comes to a brawl!"
In an instant, the other members of the Shinpaku Alliance charged forward as the back of the trunk opened, revealing more guards with weapons.
"Those damn weapon users... they didn't even send a Master Class fighter for this delivery," commented Agaard as he blocked a kick from Shigure, "If it wasn't for me, Ryozanpaku's weapon master would've gotten away with the goods."
"'If it wasn't for me'... you sound pretty confident," quoted Shigure as she threw several shurikens.
"Naturally, Muay Thai is a style that was developed to fight armed opponents... You're not going to win!" declared Agaard.
'That being said, I can see those idiots at least brought some Expert Class weapon users here,' thought Agaard to himself as he took another peek at the other fight, 'But wow. That Shirahama kid. Getting a good look now, I can see why Kokin thought he wouldn't win. If we hadn't insisted on more guards and some high-level ones at that, they most likely would've gotten away with them already.'
"Oniharite!" shouted Thor as he slammed a sumo palm thrust into another guard.
Takeda weaved through his attacker's blade strikes before punching him in the liver. Kisara fired a barrage of kicks at her opponent, forcing him to block with his blade. Siegfried spun around, dodging a spear thrust before slamming a fist into his opponent's head. Ukita roared as he ducked under a sword slash, grabbing his opponent's legs and hurling him into the ground with a judo grab.
Kenichi, Miu, and Niijima couldn't help but grin at this when they saw Ukita taking out his opponent. The last timeline, he had been slashed, though his opponent had used the back of his blade to knock him out. This time, Ukita was much more skilled, having trained with Taiki and Naoki.
Kenichi suddenly had to dodge a blade aiming for his face. Quickly jumping back, Kenichi saw his opponent wielding a unique weapon, a khopesh that originated from Egypt. The sickle sword user twirled his sword in his hand, glaring at Kenichi.
'This feeling, he's a whole another level than the other guards,' thought Kenichi as he narrowed his eyes. He was sure that this person hadn't been here last time.
Miu saw the threat and had been ready to rush over to help when she had to duck under a slash. She turned to whoever attacked her and saw a female wielding a kilij.
"You're going to regret interfering with us," threatened the female kilj expert as she attacked Miu.
Niijima was doing his best to stay hidden, recalculating the odds of the fight. The expert weapons fighters were unexpected, but not quite out of his calculations. Nor were the number of guards that were fighting against the Shinpaku Alliance, which was 1.6 times more than the last timeline.
"Are you worried about your companions?" asked Agaard as he ran across a wall, "I'll be honest, I'm a little worried myself. So let's casually put our lives on the line and end this."
Kuryou Ruushi Haan
Agaard launched himself forward, striking with his right hand while his left hand parried Shigure's blade. Shigure managed to dodge the life-risking strike, though his fist managed to clip her chainmail, exposing her nipple as pieces of the link broke off.
It was enough though as Agaard landed right next to Freya and Danki before grabbing them and throwing them into the truck, though he did so gently.
"The package is in! Get going!" ordered Agaard to the driver, who immediately obeyed and drove off.
"Now, if I can hold this one off, then my job will be finished," muttered Agaard as he turned around to deal with Shigure. He took a quick peek around, seeing Kenichi still fighting the khopesh user while Miu just kicked the kilij user.
'Good, the main threats are still here,' thought Agaard as he continued to scan the area before noticing that someone was missing.
"Kyaa!" screamed a female civilian as she jumped to escape a speeding truck, "Geez, that was dangerous! What's with that truck?"
"Haha, that truck is currently running away from me," voiced a male voice, "But do see someone about that scraped knee."
The woman turned to see Takeda with a smiling face and a twinkle as he winked at her before continuing to chase the truck.
"Don't underestimate the hellish training I underwent with Shiba-sensei as well as the extra roadwork I've been piling on!" taunted Takeda as he chased after the truck, seemingly catching up to the truck when it began to pull away.
"No, wait, get back here!" shouted Takeda as a driver looked out the window in shock before looking back at his speedometer to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Suddenly, a rope was tossed onto Takeda's head, much to his surprise.
"Here, grab onto this," grinned Niijima from the top of the bus.
"When the hell did you get up there!?" shouted Takeda in confusion as he quickly grabbed the rope, "And where'd you get this rope?"
"When the guards got out of the truck," replied Niijima as he opened up his jacket, "Right now, there's only Freya, her grandfather, and the driver from Yami on the truck. Also, I'm always prepared for any scenarios."
Inside his jacket were several gadgets and self-defense items that somehow fit into his jacket without revealing anything bulging when he closed his jacket.
"The hell is your jacket made out of, dimensional storage?" muttered Takeda as he spied a Fox Labs pepper spray and taser, as well as more rope, a screwdriver, a bag of what he guessed were tools to pick a lock, and for some reason, a doll.
Before he could even ask why, he felt a chill down his spine. Takeda quickly looked around to see a red Ferrari driving right past them, with Tirawit driving by. A second later, someone landed on top of the truck with them.
"Aw, geez, I slept through the delivery. Agaard of the Unarmed Divisions is going to be mad," muttered the newcomer, his dreadlock hair flapping in the wind while the giant scimitar he was wielding gleamed under the sun.
'Shit, this guy is master class,' thought Takeda.
Tirawit soon arrived at where Agaard was just in time to see Kenichi hurl his opponent into the ground with a well-timed jiu-jitsu throw. Before the Khopesh Expert could try to get up, Kenichi ended the fight with a spinning elbow strike down the head, a Dee Sok Toron. Miu trapped her opponent's head between her thighs, letting her struggle for a second before backflipping, lifting her opponent into the air as her hands touched the ground. In the next instant, Miu slammed the kilij expert into the ground face first, though due to the size of the kilj expert's chest, it might have been chest first. Tirawit sighed, knowing his master was right to advise the Armed Division of Yami to send stronger fighters. They had done so, but just barely. Agaard had suggested at least two master class fighters, but instead, they sent only one. At least they had the decency to send some more expert fighters and more cannon fodder.
"Nice timing," grinned Agaard as he jumped onto the car, sweeping his leg in front of the car's tires to block the kunais Shigure threw.
"I gave the Banto master of the Armed Sect a lift before coming here," explained Tirawit as he slammed his foot on the gas pedal.
"Instead of chasing me, shouldn't you be helping that reckless boxer that ran off?" asked Agaard with a jaunty smile and wave.
Shigure frowned but agreed with her opponent as she quickly jumped up to a roof to see if she could track where Takeda was.
"Shigure, come back down, we can track Niijima!" shouted Miu, "He snuck onto the truck while everybody was distracted.
"What!? My demon lord isn't safe! We must go to his aid!" panicked Siegfried.
"We need to rescue Freya-nee!" added Chisato.
"I have his location," said Kenichi calmly, holding a PDA that Niijima had given him. An app with the GPS function popped up, showcasing Niijima's current location.
"We should hurry," suggested Kisara, "Who knows what's happening now?"
"So who are you guys?" asked the Banto master as Niijima and Takeda slowly shuffled back, "Ah who cares. You're trespassing where you're not supposed to be."
"Niijima, get the door open and get Freya and her grandfather out of here," whispered Takeda as he raised up his fists.
"Don't be an idiot, you can't take him on," hissed Niijima.
"If I don't, who will?" replied Takeda while a sparkling smile, "I got this."
"How about I just cut you up!" threatened the Banto master as he attacked with a downward slash. Before he could complete it, though, he sensed a threat behind him and quickly changed his attack, slashing behind him. An armored gauntlet blocked the attack, halting it in mid slash. The Banto master quickly glared at the new threat, a masked man.
"Hoo, to think you could block my attack," praised the Banto master sarcastically.
"You overestimate yourself," replied the masked man, "It was mere child's play for me, the grandmaster of the Zanshin Taisha-Ryu to block such a hasty attack."
"Like I said. I'm prepared," smirked Niijima to Takeda.
"Well then, then I'll get serious!" shouted the Banto master.
The grandmaster dodged several attacks before being forced to jump into the air, landing next to Niijima and Takeda. The Banto master grinned as he slashed downwards towards them.
"Dodge!" shouted Takeda as he, the grandmaster, and Niijima leaped to the side.
The sword cut right through the truck, splitting open the back and forcing the doors to swing open. The driver swerved trying to regain control of the truck. Niijima ended up stuck on one of the doors, grabbing on for dear life.
"Niijima?" gaped Freya before quickly noticing two master class fighters fighting each other.
The Banto master grimaced as he took a step back, his free hand gently caressing his rib. He made an impressive strike with the intention of hitting the grandmasters and two teenagers. However, doing so left him open to the grandmaster landing two quick punches to the ribs.
"Tch, this is really getting to be a pain in the ass," growled the Banto master as he snapped his fingers, "Get rid of these intruders."
Suddenly, two motorcyclists with spears quickly approached the truck. The motorcyclists hefted their lance up in their hands, aiming for Niijima. Whether it was to stab him or prod him off the truck, it was clear what their intention was.
"Save Niijima!" shouted Takeda towards the grandmaster, "I'll buy us some time from this brute!"
The grandmaster raised his eyebrow at this order, but couldn't deny the fact that Niijima was in danger. With a quick nod, the grandmaster jumped off, kicking one of the motorcyclists off his motorcycle. The other one got close enough and jabbed Niijima's hand hard. Luckily, the lance was blunt, but it was enough for Niijima to lose his grip on the door.
"Niijima!" shouted Freya as she grabbed her grandfather's staff, whom he held towards her in the beginning, and thrust it forward.
Niijima managed to grab onto the pole, but now Freya was starting to tilt forward. The other motorcyclist tried to attack again, only for the grandmaster to slam into him.
Takeda rushed forward towards the Banto master, who scoffed at this and sliced horizontally, aiming to decapitate Takeda. Takeda, in a sudden burst of speed, ducked right under the attack and closed into the Banto master's chest.
Takeda raised his arm to punch, only to cough in pain as the Banto master's knee slammed into his chest, sending him crumpling onto the truck.
"That's quite surprising, you're not a normal brat. Who are you? Though even if I asked, a dead person can't reply," said the Banto master mockingly.
Takeda quickly managed to push himself up, his eyes burning with conviction as he charged forward once more.
"Takeda Ikki! James Shiba's disciple and captain of the Shinpaku Alliance, ally of Ryozanpaku!" roared Takeda as he charged forward once more.
"Oh, you're still alive? Your stamina and lower body strength is quite durable," commended the Banto master before noticing Freya starting to fall off the truck, "You're not getting away!"
The Banto master slashed at Takeda at speeds drastically higher than his initial slash, causing Takeda to gulp as he could see his life flashing before his eyes. Before the attack could land, though, the grandmaster tossed several kunais at the Banto master, forcing him to abort the attack, and instead, kicked Takeda in the stomach once more. Then the Banto master grabbed Freya by the neck, tossing her backwards and intending to slice the flying Niijima in midair. Before he could though, the grandmaster grabbed Niijima, landing safely onto the sidewalk.
"Hmph, guess this still counts as a win," murmured the Banto master, "Still got the girl and the old geezer. But is this old geezer really worth the trouble?"
"Niijima!" shouted Kenichi as he and the others managed to catch up to Niijima, who was dusting himself off with the grandmaster standing behind him in protection.
"Where is Freya-nee!?" demanded Chisato.
"And where is Takeda!" asked Ukita.
"She's still being held hostage by them," grunted Niijima, "The rescue failed, and Takeda is with them. The last thing I saw was him getting kicked in the stomach by a master class."
"Then we have to rescue them immediately!" demanded Kisara.
"Luckily, we still got a lock on her location, and with Takeda there, I can find both of them," hummed Niijima as he took the PDA from Kenichi, quickly navigating through it, "Got it. Let's move."
As they began to move, Niijima, Miu, and Kenichi moved close to each other, unnoticed by the others.
"Is it still the same place?" whispered Kenichi.
"Yep. And I have several of the Zanshin Taisha-Ryu members already there in hiding, ready to intervene if necessary. And I've already let James Shiba know about the situation," replied Niijima.
"Knowing him, he's going to burst through the front door to save him," giggled Miu.
At a port, Freya, Takeda, and Danki were sitting inside a storage containment unit while the Banto master with four other guards sat a little away from them, conversing with Agaard. Originally, there had been more planned to help guard, along with Expert Class fighters. However, they had been called in to help facilitate the transport just in case, which was lucky for them when Kenichi and the others interfered. In the end, there were far fewer guards available, so the Banto master made the call to just stick them together as it would be easier to keep track of them.
"Damn, that stings," grunted Takeda as he gingerly poked his stomach where he had been kneed and kicked.
"Are you alright?" asked Freya worriedly.
"Nothing to worry about," grinned Takeda as he flashed a thumbs-up, only to wince as his stomach roared in pain at his movement.
Suddenly, Danki popped something he picked off from the ground, chewing on it thoroughly.
"Grandpa, that's not food, and it's dirty to pick something off the floor and pop it in your mouth," lectured Freya, only for Danki to ignore her as he spat it out and rubbed it over Takeda's stomach.
"Eww, that's disgusting!" winced Takeda as he tried to wipe it off, only for Danki to ignore him.
"Wait, that's sagebrush," whispered Freya, stopping Takeda from wiping it off, "It's used to help treat internal bleeding, to which you certainly have."
"Huh, you're right, I'm feeling a bit better now," nodded Takeda as he felt his muscles slowly relaxing, "Thanks for the help."
"They don't think of you as an opponent," said Danki in an old stuttering voice, "So you can probably run away and they won't really put much effort in capturing you. Are you going to run?"
"Hell no. I'm not running until I get you and Freya out of here! I promised to help, and I'm not running away from it. I refuse to abandon a friend!" declared Takeda raising his right arm up and slapping his bicep with his left hand to prove his point.
"Takeda," whispered Freya with a bit of compassion in her voice.
"Hehehe, young love," cackled Danki as he got behind Takeda and began pressing down several points on Takeda's body, helping him shift his displaced organs back into place.
"Grandpa! It's not like that!" blushed Freya as did Takeda.
"I'll create a distraction. You two run for it when I do," coughed Takeda, trying to change the subject.
Danki remained silent for a bit before replying, "Huh? Yea, thanks to you, my ears are fine!"
'Did he even hear what I just said?' questikoned Takeda in his mind.
Suddenly, the Banto master stopped right in front of Takeda, causing Danki to 'cower' behind Takeda.
"Brat. You said something about being a part of this so-called Shinpaku Alliance and an ally of Ryozanpaku, right?" questioned the Banto master.
When Takeda nodded, the Banto master grinned.
"Andaka!"
"Yes onderwyser (Master in African)" said a young man's voice as he appeared behind the Banto master, revealing himself.
"Cut him down," ordered the Banto master.
"As you wish," replied Andaka.
Takeda immediately understood what was going on and jumped to his feet, spacing himself away from Freya and Danki.
"You're just like a beast, using a weakened prey as training," sighed Agaard from the computer, "I wouldn't exactly call that a good way to raise a disciple."
"Hmph, the quickest way is the best way," disagreed the Banto master.
"You cowards!" hissed Freya, "Let me fight! I'll show you why the Kugatachi-Ryu shouldn't be looked down upon!"
"Don't worry, I got this," stated Takeda, flashing a smile as Freya before focusing back on Andaka.
"You're foolish if you think you can win barehanded," scoffed Andaka before quickly slashing at Takeda's neck.
Takeda's eyes closed for a second as the slash came close before snapping them open, his eyes glowing with Ki. Takeda ducked under the slash, his eyes focused on Andaka. Andaka began to rapidly slash at Takeda, only for him to completely miss all his attacks as Takeda dodged with seeming ease.
'All right, I'm getting a good read of the flow,' thought Takeda as he leaned to the left to dodge another slash.
"Isn't that Kenichi's Ryusui Seikuken?" gasped Freya.
"Something close to it," grunted Takeda, "It's not always smooth, but I'm in the zone today."
Takeda quickly closed in, firing a few jabs at Andaka, who managed to block them with the flat side of his blade. The impact forced him to stumble back a bit before Andaka growled and went on the offensive once more.
"Gotcha!" grinned Andaka as his blade managed to touch Takeda's skin, leaving a few small gashes as he kept going, "You're going to die! It's over!"
"You're right, it's over," grinned Takeda as he suddenly punched Andaka's fingers that were grasping the blade.
Andaka roared in pain as he felt his fingers crushed under the fist, dropping the sword. However, he quickly snatched the sword with his other hand, intending to dismember Takeda when Takeda took a step forward, his fist pounding together before he fired his left fist.
Auto Rhythm
Takeda's version of Mubyoshi struck Andaka right in his chest, causing Andaka to gasp in pain as he dropped his blade.
"One more time!" roared Takeda as he used Auto Rhythm once more, using the right hand this time right into Andaka's head.
Andaka fell unconscious onto the floor, clearly knocked out from Takeda's two strikes.
"Hmm, he not only forced an opening by aiming for his opponent's grip, but those last two strikes were quite impressive, utilizing primarily his upper body and back muscles. Not to mention it can be rapidly fired. I like him. Even though he's one of the Katsujinken, that was a good technique," praised Agaard.
"Tch! We abducted a useless master and can't use him, and now my disciple was defeated... God this day is shit. Everyone, kill that boxer and get rid of his body," ordered the banto master.
"I won't let you!" shouted Freya as she jumped above the guards, landing next to Takeda, holding a metal rod she had found. Unfortunately, her hands were still cuffed together.
"Hmph, an extra body to add," scoffed the Banto master, not caring about the situation anymore.
"Good grief," huffed Danki as he slowly stood up, clenching his staff tightly before suddenly disappearing from the grunt's views, suddenly appearing right in front of Takeda and Freya, "Is it practice time? I think it is!"
"Oy oy, I told you to keep a tighter guard on the granddaughter," sighed Agaard.
"He can fight?" whispered Takeda to Freya.
"He is the one who taught me," replied Freya, "Of course he knows how to fight."
"What practice, you senile old man!?" shouted a grunt, only for Danki to instantly defeat him with a well-placed smack to the face.
"I'm not senile, you idiots!" scolded Danki before picking up the katana, noticing how it was real, "What the hell, are you serious? You'll need another 1,000 years before you can even consider me practicing with you guys seriously!"
As Danki slammed several hits on another guard, Takeda raised his eyebrow, looking at Freya in concerns whether Danki was actually senile or not. Freya could only shrug, her eyes telling him not to ask that question.
"Now, grab your wooden swords!" ordered Danki, much to the remaining two guard's confusion, "And I am not senile! I was acting! Those who don't get their wooden swords are going to be thrown up like an octopus does!"
As Danki finished tossing the guards up in the air, he landed next to Takeda once more, "By the way, young one. I have high expectations for you. Martial arts isn't led by talent, but by conviction."
"That's it, I'm going to kill all of you!" shouted the Banto master angrily as he began to swing his sword at them, "You're all a pain in the ass!"
"I originally thought I'd leave that world in peace than be caught up in continuous battles," mused Danki as he easily dodged the Banto master's swift strikes before suddenly rapidly attacking the Banto master that forced him to defend himself, "But those straightforward attitudes have roused me once more! My granddaughter has also become resolute in exploring the world, and is already becoming a martial artist in the underground world while becoming so much stronger! I don't need to shelter her from that world anymore, and will let her decide what she wants to do to decide where she wants to die!"
"Grandfather," whispered Freya tenderly as she smacked one of the goons in the head.
"Tch, I have no idea what the hell Jojutsu is, but what can you do with just one small stick!" roared the Banto master as he swung down with all his strength, intending to slice the stick in half.
"I can do anything!" grinned Danki as his stick suddenly seemed to bend in the air while attacking the Banto master, forcing him back.
"It's not just a mere pole! With a thrust, it's a spear. With a sweep, it's a naginata. When you hold it at the end, it becomes a longsword! A pole can become each of those things! There are unlimited possibilities!"
With that statement, Danki broke through the Banto master's sword and defense, landing several crippling hits before finishing it off with a smack to the head.
"That is the hidden meaning of the Kugatachi-Ryu; Jigoku Makura," finished Danki as he twirled his staff.
"Is he still alive?" asked Takeda as he prodded the unconscious body of the Banto master.
"Till the very end, a true martial artist doesn't kill! I will not kill, but I won't show mercy to murderers either. This is punishment," said Danki as he approached the laptop that was still open.
"Ahaha, as expected of Kugatachi Danki," laughed Agaard, "That is quite the amazing tool. If we get the chance to meet, let me see it in-"
Danki disconnected the call via thrusting his cane into the laptop, destroying it.
"I'm deaf to the voices of evil ones," said Danki cooly before looking around towards the ceilings.
"I know you're there. Come out."
Takeda and Freya blinked in confusion before several ninjas suddenly hopped down onto the ground.
"Hey, you're that guy I fought back at the Shinpaku base," said Takeda as he pointed at Kurando, who had revealed himself with the others.
"Kurando of the Zanshin Taisha-Ryu," replied Kurando, "The weird alien had us stationed here. He somehow knew that you lot would be taken to this specific location. We were to intervene if you were in any danger."
"Hmm, so Niijima even knew where the location would be. Talk about being prepared," huffed Takeda.
"Hoo? Quite curious," hummed Danki.
"Grandfather, having you been acting all this time?" asked Freya towards her grandfather as they were no longer in a dangerous situation.
Danki sighed, "I was hoping not to reveal this. Kaname, please forgive me for deceiving you for this long. I was tired of my battles against Yami, and wanted to wash my hands off of these endless battles so I could watch and raise my family. Your parents never showed interest about the underground world of martial arts, nor do they even know about it. So I decided to deceive all those who were watching me."
Danki dusted the front of his pants before he continued, "However, when I saw you, Takeda, and even the first child who went on the attack first to rescue us, I couldn't resist the call to put my life on the line once more and fight for justice once more."
As he finished, the door burst open to reveal James Shiba, looking quite angry.
"Alright, where's the punk that kidnapped my disciple!?" roared Shiba.
"Err, master? The whole situation has already been dealt with," sweatdropped Takeda nervously.
"Hmm? That's good to hear at least. Who's the asshole who hit you?" asked Shiba, his eye narrowed as it zoned in onto Takeda's stomach. He could tell that Takeda was running on adrenaline right now, along with a few cuts all over his body.
"He's unconscious over there. Freya's grandfather beat him up," pointed out Takeda, "And now for some reason I'm feeling woozy."
"Takeda!" shouted Freya in worry as she caught him just as he collapsed onto the floor.
"He's fine," reported one of the ninjas, "He was running on fumes until he finally relaxed. The injuries hit him all at once and knocked him unconscious."
"Hmph, that's fine and all, but I still have all this rage bottled up and nowhere to release it," grumbled Shiba.
"If you don't mind, I intend to go onto a small 'journey' and wouldn't mind the company," suggested Danki, "I was planning to wander oh... over to a small place where it's known to be a Yami base."
Shiba grinned as he accepted that offer. Takeda wouldn't be up for training for a few days to recover, giving him plenty of time.
"Make sure he sees Akisamecchi," ordered Shiba towards Freya, "Take care of him for me as his lover, alright?"
"Ye-," started Freya, only to pause before her head slowly creaked towards Shiba, "We're not lovers!"
"Hmm? Thought you two were, considering how close you're holding him to you," hummed Shiba.
"He's injured!" shouted an embarrassed Freya.
"That, and he chased after a speeding truck that had you in it from what that damn alien told me," continued Shiba, "I figured he was chasing after his girl that was being kidnapped."
"That... that-," stuttered Freya, trying to deny such a thing.
"If I remember, you even took a hot spring bath with the boy naked, right? I know that your etiquette towards Japanese baths makes it alright, but it could lead to misunderstandings," said Danki with a small laugh.
"What? They took an onsen bath naked together? That's my disciple!" laughed Shiba.
"Grandpa!" shouted Freya in embarrassment as Shigure and the others arrived, "I was taking a trip into the underground world of martial arts with Ryozanpaku's weapons mistress, a respectable master! Her disciple, Shirahama Kenichi, was the one whom I was in the onsen with, along with Shigure Kosaka!"
"Kenichi..." voiced Miu as her eyes turned into white pupils while slowly turning her head towards Kenichi. One could see the fire behind her, her hair slowly rising with ki. Not to mention while she turned her head, once could hear the sound of metal grinding against each other.
"I did absolutely nothing!" waved Kenichi frantically, "She was the one who dragged me into the onsen and told me she wasn't bothered by nudity in the bath!"
"How dare you insinuate that Freya-sama is such a woman!" roared Chisato as she tried to bash Kenichi's head in, which he quickly dodged.
Kisara would have joined in except she quickly recalled the time when she had shared a room with Freya during the DFOD. Freya had the habit of sleeping in the nude despite having a roommate and didn't show any embarrassment about it.
That didn't mean that she had to help Kenichi, who was currently being chased by Chisato and Miu while frantically trying to explain himself. Shigure wasn't much help in that area either. It took Freya explaining that Kenichi was a gentleman in the onsen, respecting the tradition of bathing naked in it, and that she didn't really care about people staring at her body too much in it, to make Miu and Chisato finally stop. Though not before Kenichi suffered multiple bruises to the head.
By that time, Shiba and Danki had already disappeared. It wasn't until two days later did they return to their respective homes, looking unharmed. On a side note, a Yami base was completely destroyed.
"Thank you for coming to help," thanked Freya a few days later, visiting Kenichi in his room in Ryozanpaku with Miu next to him.
"It's fine, it's what friends do," waived off Kenichi.
"I wanted to bring my grandfather with me... but his sense of rivalry was rather strong," sighed Freya as she remembered her short conversation with her grandfather.
Miu and Kenichi could only lightly laugh at this.
"Anyways, here's a get-well gift as well as a misunderstanding gift for both you and Miu," said Freya, pushing forward two boxes. Freya felt a little guilty about all the bruises he got from Miu for the onsen comment as well as the misunderstanding it had caused.
Kenichi merely smiled while Miu blushed, prodding her fingers together shyly. She hadn't meant to react so violently and trusted Kenichi, but it had been a knee jerk reaction, hearing her boyfriend taking a bath with two other beautiful women. She was able to handle the fact that Shigure had no shame or modesty about showing her body, but Freya was a surprise that hit her.
"I'll be visiting Takeda after this," added Freya as she grabbed the bag she had brought with her, explaining the extra box in her bag.
Miu's eyes sharpened when she noticed a ribbon on Takeda's box before her mind instantly caught on what it meant with her female intuition. It was because of her own woman's intuition that Freya knew she had been found out.
"W-W-W-Well I should go! Look after yourself!" stammered Freya as she quickly walked out.
"Say hi to Takeda for us," smirked Miu.
'This is much better than the last timeline,' thought Miu to herself, 'Freya was attracted to Ukita last timeline, but it was obvious he was attracted to Kisara. In this timeline, it seems that Kisara is more receptive to Ukita's feelings.'
Indeed, she had seen Kisara and Ukita going on a couple of 'not dates' together.
As Miu quickly stood up to leave, she stopped right at the doorway, looking back at Kenichi.
"I'm going to our hot spring to relax a little," announced Miu.
"Ok... have a nice soak?" blinked Kenichi.
"I wouldn't say no to some company," added Miu as she walked away, her hips swaying as she walked.
Kenichi froze for a good second before dashing towards his closet.
"Uhh, thanks," said Takeda as he sat on a futon in front of Freya.
"No, I should be thanking you for your attempt to rescue my grandfather and me," replied Freya from her seat.
The two of them were in an apartment that Takeda was renting with Ukita being his next-door tenant. He had moved out to live on his own when he first started high school, and chose to continue doing so. Though he was living in a bigger apartment thanks to Niijima's connections, as was Ukita. Not to mention the cost of it was actually quite low compared to the current economy. Currently, Ukita was out with Kisara on another 'not date', so it was just him and Freya right now. Also, while Freya wore a tank top that did wonders to enhance her bust, Takeda was half-naked from the waist up. This was because Takeda had just finished washing himself from a workout when Freya knocked. It was also because he was a boxer, he was used to being naked from the waist up. Freya didn't bat an eyelid at his current state.
"It's what friends do," insisted Takeda, "I swore to never turn my back on a friend if I could help them."
"You've changed," commented Freya, surprising Takeda with that comment, "I remember when you first joined Ragnarok. Though you were always smiling and being polite, your smile never reached your eyes. You would look at everything with dull eyes as if going through the motions until Kenichi came in. Now, you look more alive."
"I guess that's true," admitted Takeda as he scratched the back of his head, "Meeting Kenichi definitely changed me for the better. Not to mention I got my arm back."
"That's right, your left arm was disabled before. What happened to it if you don't mind me asking?" asked Freya.
"Eh, sort of a long story, but it deals with someone I thought to be a brother," huffed Takeda, "If you don't mind how long it is, I can tell it to you."
"I have nowhere else to be, and you're currently banned from heavy training for a while," shrugged Freya. It has been on Akisame's orders that Takeda didn't work out too much to allow his internal injuries to heal. Takeda had been tempted to push it, but surprisingly his master agreed with Akisame.
By the time Takeda finished his tale, the tea that Freya had been clutching had gone cold, though Freya's face expressed anger and sorrow for Takeda.
"I'm sorry you had to experience that," sympathized Freya.
"Eh, it's not something I'm too happy about, but if I had the chance to redo my life again, I wouldn't take it," shrugged Takeda, "Thanks to this, I've met some really good friends and a master. I've gotten far stronger than what I could've imagined if I stuck at the old gym with Akeshita."
"Are you planning to go into the boxing world as a pro?" asked Freya.
"Yea, I already have my boxing license!" grinned Takeda, "Took me a while to get Shiba-sensei's gym to be registered as an official gym, but Niijima helped out on that part. Blew through the tests easily and placed myself in the lightweight class. I'm in the middle of the East Japan Rookie King Tournament in the semi-finals already. Though I've had to restrain myself so I don't accidentally cause too much damage, most of my matches ended in one round."
"And you haven't invited any of us to watch?" asked Freya, acting scandalized at the fact that Takeda never invited them to watch his match.
"Well, I figured it'd be too boring, considering our fight against Yami," shrugged Takeda, "Compared to them, fighting against these boxers is barely a warm-up. I'll send invites when it's time for the All Japan Rookie King Tournament, but I doubt it'll be much of a match. Maybe when I get a title match I'll send the invites."
"You're sounding quite confident, aren't you?" giggled Freya, "Be careful not to trip on your aspirations."
"Of course not," smirked Takeda, "Just for that, when I get that belt, you get to be the first to hold it as proof."
"Why, are you asking me out with a belt?" taunted Freya with a foxy smile.
"Only if you want it to be," replied Takeda.
Though the two had said that statement, their minds had completely halted.
'Why the hell did I say that!?' thought the two simultaneously. Freya was busy blaming her grandfather and Shiba for placing the idea that the two were a couple while Takeda blamed his master for teasing him so much about Freya.
"I should get going," said Freya, suddenly standing up, "I need to check on my Valkyries."
"Ah, I'll see you out," replied Takeda, also standing up. In his haste, he tripped on a well-timed and suspicious book that he was sure hadn't been there earlier. Takeda tried to use his other foot to stabilize himself, only to slip on a water bottle he was also sure hadn't been there. Before he knew it, he was falling right towards Freya.
Freya herself saw Takeda falling towards her and quickly to put her hands forward to help stabilize Takeda. She took a backstep to gain some room, only to slip on the empty bag she had brought with her.
Thump
"Takeda, I'm back, and I brought some sushi! Kisara also decided to come with me to see our apartment," shouted Ukita as he barged into the living room, carrying a sushi box to go. Takeda and Ukita had given each other a copy of their own apartment key, trusting each other to help out if needed. So Ukita had opened the door himself, not really thinking of knocking to check if he had company.
"So this is where you guys live," hummed Kisara, "Bit small compared to the apartment my dad gave me but it's not too ba..."
Kisara trailed off as she witnessed Takeda on top of Freya. Freya's hands had somehow managed to maneuver itself during the fall to have one wrapped around his neck and the other on his chest, making it look like they had been making out seconds before.
"Whoa," blinked Ukita as he shifted his shades down to get a better view and make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, "Didn't know you two were that close."
"We're so sorry for interrupting you!" squeaked Kisara as whiskers somehow appeared on her cheeks, pulling Ukita with her, "We'll leave you two alone!"
"Wait, this isn't what it looks like!" panicked both Freya and Takeda as they tried to catch up with the fleeing 'not' couple.
Outside the window, Danki and Shiba giggled like school children. It was they who had caused the situation. They had borrowed Tochumaru to open up the window so they could see inside. Then, it was they who managed to toss stones to maneuver objects right into their disciple's feet so they tripped.
"Just as planned," grinned Shiba as he raised his fist towards Danki, who fist-bumped it.
"I must say you raised a fine disciple, charging headfirst at a master without fear, putting his life on the line," complimented Danki, "Such a fine growth."
"Hmph, with all the training I've been giving him, it better have! He's become such a man!" bragged Shiba in a loud voice.
"Was that my teacher's voice?" asked Takeda from inside the room, quickly rushing towards the source.
"Shoot, scatter!" meeped Danki as the two masters quickly fled the scene.
Haha, finish with that arc! Had fun writing the Takeda and Freya scene. Next up, Okinawa... now how to write it... hmmm. I'll figure it out somehow!