It was barely over a year ago when Keitaro gained true power from the Oni-Zakura Dojo. The old master stood at the head of the training room as Keitaro struggled on his hands and knees. The memories of agonizing pain were still fresh in Keitaro's mind.
"How are you holding up", croaked the old man.
"I'm still alive Master", Keitaro said as the sweat continued to stream down his face.
The Urashima student had no shirt to cover his exposed upper body. There were visible markings all over his body. However, they slowly, but painfully crawled over to a condensed tattoo on his shoulder.
"You really are a remarkable child, Keitaro", the short old man told his student. "To be able to handle the Demon Blood Marking Seal is something no one has done since ancient times."
"What can I say master", Keitaro struggled to speak, "I'm the exception.
Keitaro's master watched as he fought past the aches. However, there was more pain going on than just with his body. He knew very well that Keitaro had been suffering for a very long time. It was time to ask his student more questions.
"Young Keitaro, I know you have been through very many trials for someone at your age. I trusted you with the Demon Blood Marking because you showed so much potential; But I need to know, why do you need this power?"
The question caused Keitaro to temporarily forget the distress felt in his body. The image of Draconian's vicious eyes came to mind.
"I have to stop someone. He murderd some people very precious to me."
"So it's revenge you're after", His master stated.
"No, it's not revenge", Keitaro told him, "I need to stop this person. Otherwise, he'll hurt many more people."
"Aw, so it's an act of duty. You feel responsible for what happened to your comrades."
Keitaro reverted his gaze back to the floor. He remembered feeling so helpless the day Draconian murdered Yangu, Masuka, Simon and Metaru. Since that day, Keitaro had this feeling in the back of his mind that if he was stronger, his friends would still be alive. Keitaro took the chance of dying in order to obtain the Demon Blood Marking Seal.
"Master, it's just that...well...I need this power Master. If I had this power back then, maybe they would still be alive. I just feel so responsible for what happened."
"Don't be", The older man suddenly shouted. "What happened to them was not your doing! Don't ever think that! You did the best to your abilities to protect them, no one could ask for more! I want you to put those thoughts out of your head for good!"
Both men stayed in utter silence. By now the markings had completely disappeared into Keitaro's new tattoo.
"It's done", the man confirmed as he carefully looked over Keitaro.
"Th-Thank you, Master", Keitaro shakily said as he shifted to a sitting position.
"Now hold on there young man", The Master said. "Now before you go off using those powers of yours, you need to know how they work; And we need to discuss some rules that come with them."
Keitaro's body was back on the battlefield in the forest behind Hinata Sou. However, his mind was somewhere between the current battle, and the words of his master from the past. He zoomed around his targets in a circle, leaving behind a small purple streak of pure energy. Both Tsuruko and Lamba were baffled by Keitaro's sudden shift in power.
"The first thing you will feel is your heart rate increase, therefore upping your muscle output. This will increase your speed..."
Lamba was suddenly thrown through three trees by Keitaro's powerful straight punch.
"...And your strength", the master's words repeated in his psyche.
While Keitaro focused on Lamba, Tsuruko used this moment to strike down Keitaro. Her swift blade landed a lethal blow to Keitaro's shoulder. Muscle tissue ripped, and some of his bone was chipped by her sword. The incision was deadly, but Keitaro did the unthinkable. He purposely gripped the sword with all his might, and slowly pulled it out of his shoulder. Just him gripping the sword drew blood from his fingers. Even more of the red cells flowed from his shoulder once the sword was removed.
"Your nervous system will be able to tolerate more pain in the heat of battle."
Using his wounded shoulder Keitaro slammed his palm into her stomach. She went flying as well before Keitaro threw her sword down. From behind, keitaro could sense Lamba approaching again. Despite Lamba's superior strength and reflexes, Keitaro was now able to counter, block, and evade his opponent's onslaught. Lamba leapt away from Keitaro in the middle of their battle. He recognized this attack, it was the same one they used when Amalla used her magic. Instinctively, Keitaro leapt to the air. It was a wise move, as Tsuruko used one of her Ki attacks. It all seemed to move in slow motion for Keitaro. As he landed on the forest floor, he found himself evading the flurry of Tsuruko and Lamba's strikes.
"The final ability of the Demon Blood Marking, is the adrenaline", His master once told him.
"The Adrenaline", Keitaro remembered asking him.
"Yes, Adrenaline", The Master answered. "Adrenaline is something that puts you in a fight or flight mode. It's instant, and short, but life saving. With the markings, adrenaline is constantly being produced, while rapidly flowing throughout your body. Can you feel it?"
In a state where everything was clear as a crystal to him, Keitaro attacked. Using all the force in his arms, Keitaro thrust his palms into Tsuruko's and Lamba's midsections. The blow was powerful enough to crush boulders, as it was once tested. The impact sent them each one hundred meters in opposite directions.
"Yes, I can feel it Master", Keitaro said in a whisper.
The Urashima looked back to Lamba who was now unconscious. Tsuruko began to stir a bit, and immediately walked over to her. Tsuruko watched in fear as he approached her. By the fact that her clan was one who slayed demons for a living, she knew very well what was stirring inside of Keitaro. She had no chance of winning at this point. It was tradition that if one lost to a demon, they would take their life, so the creäture didn't use their body for their evil purposes. AS she reached for the small knfe in her sleeve, Tsuruko discovered it was gone.
"Looking for this", Keitaro said as he held out the knife. "I knew you would try to take your life if you lost, that's why I stole it in the middle of the battle."
Keitaro tossed the knife to the ground away from both of them. She was rather shocked by his actions. What surprised her more was when he called back the markings into his tattoo.
"Why didn't you kill me", Tsuruko asked in a whisper.
"Rule four set by my master", Keitaro said. "Never use that power against someone who can't fight back. This battle is over, no lives need to be taken."
Tsuruko bowed her head to the floor saying, "I Tsuruko of the Aoyama clan, admist defeat."
Keitaro Urashima...Had won.
In the Hinata apartments, Amalla began to come to. Her head was throbbing from both Keitaro's mean kick, and the fireworks Skinny used.
"Urgh, what happened", Amalla asked as she sat up on the couch.
"You were badly hurt in the fight", Mutsumi told her.
The Molmol foreigner looked around to realize the other residents surrounded her. She also noticed that Lamba, Tsuruko, and Keitaro were missing.
"Wh-where is Lamba", Amalla asked in concern as she tried to get up.
"Now hold on there suga, ya shouldn't be walkin around so much", Kitsune said as she tried to prevent their guest from leaving.
"No, I have to find Lamba, we still have to finish our battle with Keitaro."
"The battle is already over", Everyone turned to the doors when they heard Lamba.
They watched as Keitaro helped a wounded Tsuruko and Lamba through the door. All three of them looked like they had been brutally thrashed.
"Well", Motoko asked in concern.
Everyone kept their fingers crossed for the results. The only noise that was heard for a few seconds was the ticking clock on the wall.
"Keitaro won", Tsuruko finally said.
The girls cheered, danced about, and hugged one another when they heard that Keitaro had won. Motoko was still in shock. Before he left the Hinata Dorms, Motoko would have never guessed that Keitaro could defeat her sister. The soldier/martial artist happily watched the other girls jump for joy. His smile faded when he spoke back to Lamba, Amalla, and Tsuruko.
"About the results, there's still the issue of what to do with them."
All laughter suddenly stopped when Keitaro uttered those words. They had yet to find out what Keitaro requested if he had won the match. Motoko and Su's siblings stepped forward.
"Motoko, Su", Tsuruko spoke out", By order of Keitaro Urashima's victory, we have been ordered to offer you the choice of returning to your home land, or staying here at Hinata Sou."
"W-What", Motoko asked in a stunned tone.
"You heard us", Amalla said, "The bet was if we won, we take you back home. If Keitaro won, we let you two choose what you wanted.
"Urashima wasn't fighting for any personal gain", Lamba reassured them, "He was fighting for you two to have a choice."
Motoko and Su were both humbled by Keitaro. He had put his life, body, and soul on the line for the...Just so they can pick what they wanted. It was indeed an unselfish act.
"Well if I get to pick, then I want to stay here at Hinata Sou", Su jumped as she spoke.
"I too would also like to stay here", Motoko was next to speak. "I believe I have much to learn here."
"Hmph, very well", Tsuruko told her.
"Then it is settled", Lamba said to everyone, "They shall remain here at Hinata Sou until they are ready to come home."
Everyone was back to their loud cheery selves at hearing this. Motoko bowed to all tree of the older siblings.
"Thank you all, for letting us stay here."
"Hey don't thank us", Amalla corrected her, "Thank Keitaro. He's the one who had his skin on the line here."
As Motoko and Su searched the room for Keitaro, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, where is Keitaro", Su asked in wonder.
The other tenants now realized that the room was absent for their hero of the day.
Up in his room, Keitaro was once again screaming in misery. Other than his screams, there was also the sound of bone crepatice. Keitaro's arms, and legs were placed in bionic like bars that moved along with his joints. They were devices used to stretch muscles, and excercise joints for patients who had arm and leg injuries. As they moved, Keitaro began to scream again.
"I know it hurts Boss", Skinny said as he hooked Keitaro to an IntraVenous (better known as an IV bag). "Your muscles and joints get very stiff after ou use that much adrenaline.
Once the IV was hooked up, Skinny placed a cold wet towel around Keitaro's neck before tending to his open wounds. At that point in time, the other residents burst into Keitaro's room.
"Keitaro, what's wrong?! What happened to you", Naru asked in a panicked concern.
"It's okay Naru, I'm fine", Keitaro tried to reassure her.
"Naru held her hand to Keitaro's forehead. It felt very, very hot. It could have also been from the mad blush running across Keitaro's face, due to the intimate touch. However, Naru was too concerned to feel that at the moment. Without thinking twice, Naru began to help Skinny clean Keitaro's sword wounds. They all got a better look at Keitaro and the condition he was in. The one who most likely felt the worse was Motoko. She felt the need to apologize to him, but also the need to ask him something.
"Why did you do this to yourself Keitaro? Why did you go so far as to letting us have some silly choice.
It was not that she was ungrateful for Keitaro or what he did for them. It was just that she couldn't understand why he would go so far for someone like her.
"Because, I know very well what it's like to not have a choice", Keitaro told her. "I'm a soldier, sometimes we have to do somethings we don't want to do. But we have to, because it's our job. If we don't, someone else could die. Being there is my choice, but sometimes I have to do things that I don't get a saying in."
Keitaro reached over to a small chest and pulled out a black sword. It was better known to the Urashima family as the Hina Blade. Keitaro knew very well what it was capable of, and knew only an Aoyama could handle it.
"I just wanted you and Su, to have the choice to make your own decisions", Keitaro said as he handed her the sword.
Motoko was at a loss for words. Her eyes were watering as she held the item in her hands.
"Urashima...Thank you", Motoko shouted as she seized him in a deep hug.
Keitaro was taken back by her action, but her returned the embrace.
"Hey, I want to hug Keitaro too", Su said as she forcible jumped on both of them.
The impact knocked Keitaro off of his chair. There was a sound of cracking bones, and right after a deep howl of excruciating pain. Bothe sounds came from Keitaro.
I had to put up this next chapter...I just couldn't wait! This will definently earn me my 100 reviews. Horaaay! Anyways, I thought about the Demon Blood Marking Seal for a while, and did a good amount of research for it. I wanted to put it as an ancient demon thing, but I wanted to scientifically explain how it works too. It was also hard to explain how Keitaro had to flex his joints and muscles in those metal bars. The best way I can put it is, have any of you ever seen "The Dark Knight Rises"? Remember when Bruce Wayne puts his leg in that metal bar thing, and remember how he breaks that small brick wall with that kick. That was what I was aiming for. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, and I hope I didn't rush it. Have a good day, evening, or night, whatever it is when you read this.