Here's Chapter 5. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.
Chapter 5- Time to get Stronger!
"You idiot!" the pink-haired preteen girl yells at Furuichi. "What made you think that you could take on a demon by yourself, huh?!"
We're at Furuichi's house right now, where Lamia, a doctor from Makai, is taking care of us both. Well, she's actually really going harsh on Furuichi, yelling and scolding him for trying to fight a demon.
"Well, he was about to kill Mizushima-senpai!" he protests.
"Hold on!" I tell her. "They weren't demons! They were Asuras!"
Right then, Lamia stops yelling and stares in shock. "A-Asuras…?"
Hilda nods. "Yes," she says. "I can't believe it either."
"Will you tell me what's going on?!" Oga asks, confused.
"The Asura Tribe is one of the many tribes in Makai," Hilda begins. "However, the Asuras are the strongest tribe out of all of them. They are all skilled fighters, highly intelligent, and extremely aggressive. They leave the main kingdom alone, but they are very territorial, and will kill anyone who tries to take their territory."
I look at her, trying not to wince as Lamia applies a bandage on my arm. "Have you ever encountered them, Hilda-san?" I ask.
She nods. "It was a brief one," she says. "I happened to have passed through their territory, and they had attacked immediately. I managed to fight them off, but I was almost out of energy by then." Hilda looks down as she holds Berubo. "I never thought that they'd come into Ishiyama, however."
"Who was that particular one, though?" Furuichi asks.
"His name is Sunda," Hilda explains. "The leader of the Great Thirteen, an elite force among the Asuras. They consist of the most skilled, intelligent, and powerful fighters. Sunda is the strongest, hence why he's the leader." She then turns to me. "Ayaka, you seem to be very knowledgeable in Asuras. Where'd you get your knowledge?"
I turn to her. "When I lived in Madurai, I used to fight them because they were creating some disturbances in the temples. I have some spiritual energy within me, somewhat like Kunieda."
"Did you see anything suspicious with the Asuras?" Lamia asks me.
I nod. "In my last encounter with them, they said something about how their lord is planning something big for this city," I say. "My mom knows about the Asuras as well, because my grandfather on her side is a priest at one of the temples in Madurai, and he wanted my help in fighting them."
Hilda looks down. "This isn't good," she says. "If the Asuras are planning something, then we have to fight back. However, we're not strong enough. We need better training."
I glance down at my watch right then, and realize that it's already 10:30. "Guys, we should be going home now," I say. "It's 10:30 already. My mom's probably wondering why I'm taking so long."
"I'll walk with you," Furuichi offers.
On the walk home, I'm lost in my thoughts. It's pretty clear that I need to get stronger in order to foil the Asuras' plans. Right then, an idea comes to me. I can do some extra training with Saotome-sensei and get stronger! I heard that he helped Oga master some technique, so maybe I can ask him for help!
However, I think that Furuichi should get stronger as well. He looks like he's capable of fighting, but he doesn't know much of the basics. Right then, another idea comes to me. If I can convince him to come with me for some training, then he'll be able to get stronger! First, we'll have to tell Mom about this. She'll listen, right?
"You okay?" Furuichi asks.
"What? Oh, I'm fine," I tell him. "Just thinking about something."
We eventually reach my house, where Mom greets me with an expression of worry on her face. "Ayaka!" she says. "I was so worried when I came back from the university and you weren't here! Some random man with a large moustache told me that you were injured! What took so long, and what happened?"
I take a deep breath. "Okay, Mom, this is my classmate Furuichi-san, first of all," I introduce them to Mom. "Secondly, we have some things to tell you."
She nods. "Come in first."
We sit on the couch and she sits on the chair across us. Furuichi turns to me. "Are you sure about this?" he asks.
"She already knows about Asuras," I say before turning back to Mom.
"On my way home from the grocery store… an Asura attacked," I begin. "I tried to fight him off, but he was too strong, and I ended up defeated. Furuichi tried to get involved, but was defeated as well."
She nods, a serious look in her eyes. "Which Asura did you encounter?" she asks.
"Sunda, the leader of the Great Thirteen," I say.
Right then, a look of surprise and alarm crosses her face. "They're coming already?" she asks. "This isn't good."
I nod. "I need to get stronger," I say. "And so does Furuichi."
Furuichi looks like he's about to protest, but I continue talking. "Could Saotome-sensei teach me?"
Mom looks thoughtful. "You know, your grandfather knows Kalaripayattu, an ancient Indian martial art form," she tells me. "He learned it when he was a young boy, and even now he occasionally teaches it. Maybe if we ask and explain the situation, he could teach some to both you and your friend."
I stare at Mom in surprise. "Wait, but to do that, we'll have to go all the way to India for training," I realize. "You're okay with that? I was going to ask you about training with Saotome-sensei."
"Kalaripayattu is more effective against Asuras than any other martial arts," she tells me. "I think it's best that you and Furuichi-san go and train with your grandfather."
"But, what about school and…"
"I'll talk to Saotome-san," she tells me. "And Furuichi-san, you should be prepared for training as well."
As she gets up and leaves, he turns to me in surprise. "Mizushima-senpai! Why'd you include me in this? I'm not strong enough!" he asks.
"That's the reason," I say. "To help you get stronger and to become a better fighter."
He gives me a sheepish smile as he rubs the back of his head. "But, I'm known as the Strategist," he tries to convince me. "I'm better at coming up with plans. I'm not a fighter."
"That's fine. By the time the training is finished, you'll be known as the Strategic Fighter!" I declare. "Besides, those tissues aren't going to be around forever. What will you do if they get lost or destroyed? You also can't always rely on Oga-san or Hilda-san, or even Kunieda. You need to learn how to fight for yourself, and for those who you care about."
Furuichi stares at me. "A-Are you sure about this?" he asks nervously. "You seem to be quite confident in me."
I give him a reassuring smile. "Of course," I tell him. "You're capable of fighting well, but you just need to get some training, and then you'll be a good fighter. And if anything, my grandfather won't let you leave until he trains you well."
He looks like he's in thought for a moment. "Give me some time right now," he says. "I'll let you know as soon as I can."
I nod. "Okay then. Good night, and see you tomorrow," I say as he gets up.
"Yeah, good night," he tells me.
The next day, it seems like everyone's talking about the Asura attack. Apparently, two students of St. Ishiyama had spied on us fighting Sunda, and they seemed to have told everyone about how strong I was when fighting against 'someone of a different school', so I've now earned a new nickname: Discus Thrower.
"Did you hear about how famous you've become, huh Mizushima?" Kanzaki Hajime, a member of the Tohoshinki who is obsessed with Yogurty, asks me. "You're now known as the Discus Thrower."
"Ehhh, you do discus throwing?" Hanazawa Yuka, a Red Tail girl with a flower in her hair, asks me. "Crazy!"
Later on, after school, I see Furuichi come up to me. "Mizushima-senpai," he says, looking at me. "I've made up my mind. I'd like to do some training with you and your grandfather."
I smile. "Thank you. I'll inform my mom tonight then," I say.
That night, I make sure to invite Furuichi over so we can discuss our plans for training. Mom sits us down at the dining table before sitting down. "I contacted my dad, and he said that he's willing to train you both," Mom tells us. "He'll teach you both a condensed version of Kalaripayattu, since it usually takes years to master fully."
"How long will this training last for?" Furuichi asks.
"About two and a half weeks," she says. "You'll leave a few days before your school break, and you'll be gone during and after the break. He's already decided the dates on which you'll come, so all that's left is for me to book the flight, which I've already done."
"What do we do when packing?" I ask.
"You need to pack some clothes, but not too much," she tells us. "You'll be training at an abandoned temple in rural Kerala, and you'll be doing your own laundry as well. I recommend that you both take a duffel bag, and don't pack too many things."
"How will we keep in touch with our families and friends?" Furuichi asks.
"You'll have to go to an internet cafe in a nearby village to keep in touch," Mom replies. "Unfortunately, I'll be unable to accompany you both on this, since I have to teach classes."
Right then, a thought comes to me. "What will we say about our absence? We need to come up with a good excuse," I realize. I think for a moment. "How about this: my cousin is getting married, and I had to bring a friend for the wedding, so I took Furuichi with me."
"How about this: we both have a relative who's getting married in different countries, so we had to go and attend them?" Furuichi suggests.
I nod. "That'll work."
That night, as I'm getting ready for bed, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement. I'm going to get stronger, strong enough to fight the Asuras! I also feel happy that I'll be training alongside Furuichi, whom I consider as a good friend. He's actually a nice person, and he's not that creepy. In the month that I've joined this school, he's become a great person to talk to, and to hang around.
As I close my eyes, I start wondering about what else will happen when we go and train.
Kalaripayattu is an Indian martial art, and one of the oldest fighting arts. It has a lot of kicks, strikes, grappling, as well as usage of weapons. It usually takes years to master.
Thanks for reading!