Hey everyone, and welcome to this chapter. This chapter will be shorter than usual, but that's because it'll be less wordy and focus more on the events taking place. It'll be heavily focused on training but also dialogue. Of course, it'll also set up a big fight scene.
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody. History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi is owned by Funimation and Syun Matsuena. Please support the official release.
"Shirou" Regular speech.
"Shirou" Thoughts.
SEIKUKEN Attack names.
(Shirou) Words said previously.
[Shirou] Words said in unison.
Takeda's Crisis
—…
The day began at Koryuu High School, and it was the middle of lunch break. During this time, many students went to their respective clubs to get in some light practice while they had the time. That was what Takeda was doing.
Right now, in the school's Boxing club, Takeda was in his training attire and doing drills. That was how he was when Kenichi and Shirou arrived to talk to him.
Kenichi came to warn him about the impending assault that Ragnarok had planned for him was quickly approaching, but neither Takeda nor even Shirou, for that matter, seemed concerned by that fact as Takeda moved on to the punching bag and Shirou went behind it to hold it in place.
"You should feel honored; I'm holding the bag for you." Shirou joked with him lightheartedly.
"You should feel honored; I'm letting you hold the bag for me." Takeda joked back before he started punching.
"In any case, you need to be careful." Kenichi got back on topic. "Listen, a reliable source told me that Ragnarok's planning to punish you for waking out on them real soon, and they're not gonna go easy on you.
Takeda threw a last punch before he stopped and faced Kenichi. "Yeah, so what?"
"You realize he already knew all that." Shirou pointed out.
"Come on, you guys, you need to take this seriously." Kenichi insisted while upset. "This isn't some joke you can just laugh off."
Takeda turned away. "Doesn't matter how careful I am. There's no way to avoid it." He reasoned.
"True, and spending all your time worrying about it won't help at all." Shirou also reasoned. "If anything, the fact that you can keep your cool through all this is a positive."
"I'm a Boxer. I wouldn't be good at my job if I couldn't handle pressure." Takeda pointed out with a smile.
Then, out of nowhere, Miu arrived in the clubroom as well. She was wearing her pink gymnastics leotard, meaning she was also in the middle of club activities before she arrived, and it looked like she was concerned about something.
"Kenichi, look!" She held out a newspaper to him.
"What's that?" Kenichi asked as he looked.
"Nijima's been passing these around the school." Miu explained as they all looked at the front page.
To his horror, the front-page article was about him defeating Tsuji. The title read Sweeping Victory For Shirahama, and beneath that was a photo of Tsuji beaten and on the ground while Kenichi stood over him while standing on his head and pointing to the sky. There was also a speech bubble pointing from Kenichi's mouth that said I Am No. 1!
Kenichi froze like a statue while Takeda whistled, impressed. "Nice shot."
Kenichi snapped and crumpled the paper. "THIS IS TOTALLY PHOTOSHOPPED!" He then turned his attention to Miu. "How many of these has he managed to hand out so far?!"
"Unfortunately, they're all over the place." Miu sadly informed him.
"What does that idiot think he's doing spreading stupid rumors like this?!" Kenichi grimaced at the situation.
"I don't know why you're so surprised. Based on everything he's done, this is pretty standard for Niijima." Shirou reminded him.
"That doesn't mean I have to get used to it!" Kenichi snapped again.
"Extra! Extra!"
They stopped when they heard a familiar voice coming from the hallway outside the clubroom. Kenichi glared and went out to see for himself.
"Get your newspapers!" Niijima gleefully passed out newspapers to other students in the hallway.
The others followed Kenichi as they stepped into the hallway, and he immediately stopped Niijima. "YOU!"
Niijima froze when he saw Kenichi and heard the venom in his voice, coupled with the threat of death in his eyes. In response, Niijima did what he always does in times like these—Run away.
"Ah, he ran away!" Miu remarked.
"Come back here, you freak!" Kenichi wouldn't let him escape and ran after him. But as he ran past the first turn, he stopped and saw that Nijima had run away so fast that he was completely out of sight, and he couldn't even hear his footsteps anymore. This only annoyed Kenichi further. "Man, how the hell does that guy always get away."
"Woah, nice footwork." Takeda admitted casually.
"Yeah, I'd be impressed if he were that fast, even when he isn't running away." Shirou confessed.
Kenichi turned back to Takeda. "Anyway, try to keep a low profile for a while, okay?" Kenichi advised him before reaching into his pocket. "And here, take this. This is my cellphone number. If they corner you somewhere, give me a call, and we'll be right over. Promise me, okay."
"Aww, it's like we're dating or something. Am I blushing?" Takeda joked with a laugh before turning to Miu and placing his gloved hand on her shoulder. "You know, to tell you the truth, babe, I would much rather have your number on my speed dial."
His flirtatious words and attitude had an effect on Miu, so much that his face became flushed, her cheeks were red, and her expression became dazed. Shirou then stepped up and took out his own phone.
"I've got her number on speed dial." Shirou informed him before offering. "I can give it to you if you want it, and it'll probably be convenient if we all exchange numbers."
"Seriously, you're gonna give me a hot girl's phone number?" Takeda asked upbeat as he tapped Shirou's torso with his gloved hand. "Damn, I bet every guy dreams of having a friend like you."
"Yep, I am the dream." Shirou replied dispassionately but didn't deny the compliment.
"Will you guys focus!?" Kenichi snapped at all three of them while stomping his feet.
Classes had let out, and the final bell had just rung. While many students were leaving the school grounds, Shirou was still on campus and walking outside the school building. His motives were to simply track down one person.
He stopped after he walked past a tree and felt something off. "Would you stop hiding already? I know you're back there?"
"Ha, I should have figured." Niijima relented and came out of his hiding place. "It's always been hard to pull the wool over your eyes."
"Just don't bother running away again." Shirou told him, not in the mood.
"I make no promises." Niijima replied with a grin. "Now, what can I do for you? I doubt you're here to throw a hissy-fit on Kenichi's behalf."
"I want to know what you're up to." Shirou said, not beating around the bush.
"You'll have to be more specific." Niijima dodged the question. "I'm up to a lot of things."
"Just come out with it." Shirou narrowed his eyes. "You've been planning something for a while. For whatever reason, you want Kisara out of the way, and either I or Kenichi need to be the one to do it. Not only that, you wanted us to beat Tsuji even though I already did once before, and this time, you wanted everyone to know about it."
"Yes, so what?" Niijima shrugged, still grinning.
"I usually have a good grasp on what you're up to, but now it's different. I can't tell what the goal is here." Shirou elaborated. "What is it you're hoping to achieve."
"Simple, really. It's just that it's in my best interest for you and Kenichi's reputations to grow as strong fighters as much as possible." Niijima answered, not hiding his intent.
"And why's that?" Shirou questioned him again.
Niijima moved in closer until he was in his personal space. "Shirou, my friend, I have big plans going forward, and I need the two of you to make them a reality. I wasn't planning on sharing this with Kenichi until later, but you're different. I'm sure you can handle this information."
After saying those words, Niijima took out his PDA and showed Shirou what was written down on the screen before he explained what it was he had planned.
Later that day, after school ended, they made their way back to Ryozanpaku.
Kenichi changed into his training gi and prepared himself because today, training was going to be much different than usual. Today was the day he and Shirou would begin their advanced techniques training.
They both stepped into the training hall where the Masters were waiting for them, and all of them were prepped for training as well. They all stood together while Akisame was in front of the pack and sat.
"It's time." Akisame announced before he stood up. "All right! Now we shall undertake some real technique training!"
"Yes, Master!" Kenichi loudly exclaimed.
"Let's do it." Shirou followed up with his inside voice.
Sakaki stepped forward first. "How bout we start off with some Karate? I have a different technique for both of you." He faced Kenichi first. "Kenichi, we'll start with you. Take a shot."
"Right!" Kenichi nodded before he roared while throwing a straight punch. "Haaaaaa!"
Sakaki instantly responded once his punch was halfway to its target and brought down his fist to knock away Kenichi's punch before he followed up by using the wrist of that same hand to strike upward at Kenichi's chin. He stopped short of hitting him, but the force behind his attack practically blew Kenichi away.
"First off, you must deflect your opponent's attack downward. Then, using the same hand, you're gonna strike upward at his chin with your wrist." Sakaki explained the steps behind the technique. "This allows you to stop an opponent with only one hand. From here on, the odds are pretty good that you're going to find yourself fighting alone against more than one opponent at a time. If you have to use both hands to handle each of them, you'll never be able to deal with them all, got that?"
"Yes, sir!" Kenichi responded enthusiastically.
"Now, onto you." Now, Sakaki faced Shirou. "Try to put up your guard."
Shirou did so by putting up a three-point Karate stance and holding up both his arms, locking them together to defend his head and torso.
Sakaki responded by throwing a combination of fast-paced strikes at him. He didn't try to go around the block or even through it, but rather, Sakaki aimed for the block specifically. He unleashed four consecutive punches that hit the sides of Shirou's wrists and elbows with pinpoint accuracy. The result—Shirou's arms were knocked aside, and his guard was instantly opened. He was surprised by how sudden it was as Sakaki followed up with a punch aimed at his face, and like with Kenichi. He stopped his attack after it was only an inch away from hitting him.
"Gah!" Shirou instinctively stepped back. He had never experienced a technique like that before.
"A strong defensive is typically used to block strong and heavy strikes, but that makes them rigid and locked in place, which is bad when you're facing someone who can attack from different angles." Sakaki explained once again." This technique lets you pry open an opponent's guard using speed and procession. Even without that much power, you can crack open your opponent's defense as long as you aim for the right spots."
Both techniques were powerful and useful in their own right. And it seemed as though Sakaki picked them in mind when considering the opposition they may very well face in the near future.
With that done, Apachai was the next one to step forward. "Now it's Apachai's turn!"
"I'm ready, Master." Kenichi proclaimed as he faced the tanned giant.
The two stood face-to-face as Kenichi waited patiently to see what technique Apachai had planned to teach him.
.
.
.
.
"Hmmhmmmmm…" To his confusion, Apachai lowered his head and silently wept tears of sadness. Kenichi was taken aback as Apachai looked at him woefully. "Sorry if I KILL you! I try and try, but you always end up DEAD after the lesson! Apapapapa!"
Kenichi remained motionless for a second as that sank in. "Someone save me!"
Akisame quickly stepped in and caught Kenichi by the back of his collar as he tried to run away. He still struggled frantically as Akisame held him in place.
"This really is a dangerous move, so I'll take your place as his sparring partner." Akisame decided, which finally calmed Kenichi down. As Akisame let go of Kenichi, he faced Apachai himself. "Now, pay close attention."
Kenichi gulped nervously as the two Masters prepared to face off in front of him.
"Let's go, Apachai!" Akisame proclaimed before he charged forward and threw a series of punches at him.
Apachai wasn't hindered by Akisame's assault as he held up his hands and caught every punch that Akisame threw at him—Blocking them while moving backward. Akisame then stepped in and threw a full-extended punch but countered by redirecting the trajectory of his punch and positioning himself behind his opponent. Now that he was behind him, Apachai spun and raised his elbow before he brought it down on Akisame's head like a guillotine.
BASH!
If it had been anyone else, that would have been a fatal blow, but Akisame caught the elbow before it collided with his head, even though he was facing the other way. "Reverse Elbow."
Kenichi looked dazed just watching it happen while Sakaki commented. "Wow, close one! If that had been Kenichi, that would have snapped his neck in two like a chicken one." He joked.
"Ah, Reverse Elbow!?" Kenichi was even more spooked by the technique after hearing that.
"Yes, it's an extremely advanced technique." Akisame told him while shaking off the hand that caught the elbow.
"Now me." Shirou reminded them, interested in the technique Apachai planned for him. "What do you have set up for me?"
"Of course, to avoid injuries, how about I handle the sparring for this one as well?" Akisame suggested.
"Apa!" Apachai apparently had no problem with that arrangement.
Thus, Shirou watched them carefully, not allowing himself to miss a moment of this demonstration. Once again, Akisame and Apachai faced off, and like before, Akisame made the first move.
Akisame stepped forward and threw a short, close-range punch at Apachai, and Apachai did the same while also stepping in. Both of their punches barely sailed past each other's heads, and now they were both directly in front of each other. Apachai then used that opportunity to hit Akisame with a low kick on his lead leg. The kick struck right into Akisame's ankle and forced him down on one knee. Apachai went in for the kill and brought down a descending chopping right on Akisame's head.
BASH!
Just like before, Akisame caught the punch before it hit him and thus avoided a fatal blow. He then stood back up and waved off his hand. It was apparent that the second technique was far more dangerous than the first. Even Shirou couldn't deny that he would have been in trouble if that had been him.
"Now, as you saw, that technique was about timing and control." Akisame explained before elaborating. "First, you use the first blow as a feint to get into close range. At that point, you and your opponent are so close that your lower body becomes a blind spot. Using that advantage, you can take them by surprise with a low kick that will crumble their stance and make them fall. Finally, you finish them off with a powerful blow to the head."
"But, if I get the timing wrong or make my feint too obvious, I'll end up eating a counter punch, and the one who'll crumble will be me." Shirou pointed out as he dissected the technique.
"Apa! Yes, timing is very important in all techniques, and so is body control!" Apachai didn't argue with his assessment. "Unless you train hard at both. These techniques will put you in greater danger than your opponents."
"Greater danger?" Kenichi paled at that piece of advice.
"Now then, let me show you something as well." It was Akisame's turn now. "For me, I'll have you both learn the same technique."
Kenichi stepped forward so that Akisame could begin. He waited for the Judo Master to start as he prepared himself.
"Okay, first—Attack your opponent with a chop."
He demonstrated by chopping at Kenichi, which he blocked with his wrist.
"When your opponent's open, you attack his side."
He hit a soft blow on Kenichi's side.
"Twist the opponent's hand around."
He then grabbed Kenichi's hand and started twisting it, which was actually hurting Kenichi.
"Then strike his back and neck area while attacking with your knee."
He didn't stop, and Akisame did just as he said by kneeing Kenichi in the stomach, which made him painfully hunch over, and quickly followed up by chopping him at the top of his spinal cord, which was close to his neck while it was exposed.
"Then throw him, like so."
He lifted Kenichi off the floor and over his shoulder before dropping him flat on his back.
"Then if you can manage to pin him down with your leg, like so—"
He still had a firm grip on Kenichi's arm and went around him before he stepped on Kenichi's ankle to keep him from escaping while he painfully dug his heel into Kenichi's leg. Finally, he flipped Kenichi over so his front was pinned on the floor while Akisame sat on his back.
"—Use your hand—"
BAM!
Akisame ended his demonstration by bringing down his fist onto the tatami mat next to Kenichi's head. The punch had enough strength to produce an audial sound once it made an impact on the floor.
"—To finish him off." Akisame finished and got off of Kenichi. "It's a very useful combination attack that gives you four opportunities to deliver a finishing blow to your enemy if it's executed properly."
"What happens if it's not?" Shirou asked curiously.
"Well, you better be good at improvising if that happens." Akisame answered jokingly.
"Aahhh!" Kenichi cried out as he frantically crawled away from them. "I've been the guy who's on the receiving end!"
Now Kensei stepping forward. "Ah, I've never seen Akisame so worked up. Now it's my turn."
"Please, Master, I just don't think I can handle anymore~!" Kenichi cried out tearfully while groveling at Kensei's feet. "Please, have mercy!"
Kensei sighed. "Well, it's true that these techniques are considered rather advanced for a Disciple of your skill level." He conceded on that point. "For now, Shirou and I will finish up with Shirou for today and try with you once you've practiced what you've learned."
"Fine with me." Shirou approached the two remaining Master, not in any hurry to stop. "What have you to got for me?"
"My, my, aren't we eager?" Kensei noted while stroking his mustache. "Shigure, why don't you go first?"
Shigure stepped forward with a long spear in her hands. "Try not… To die."
While Shirou was proceeding with the training, Kenichi remained on his hands and knees and started to worry again. "The techniques that Master Sakaki and the others have shown me are too hard. I don't know if I can remember all the moves. I don't have the skill that Shirou does."
"You needn't worry." Akisame reassured him of his negative thoughts. "Skill doesn't matter. You just need to analyze each technique, step by step."
Kenichi gasped in shock at his practically telepathic response. "How does he do that mind-reading thing?!"
Akisame continued. "And we'll get things started by having you practice each of these moves 1000 times."
"No waaayyy!?" Kenichi became as white as a ghost after hearing that instruction. "1000 times."
At that point, Miu walked through the door. "Oh, Akisame, you have a patient waiting for you at the clinic."
"Oh yes, I forgot. You're friend, Takeda, is scheduled for another checkup with me this afternoon." Akisame informed them. "I might be a little while, so I'll just leave Kenichi in your capable hands. Is that okay with you, fellas?" He asked Sakaki and Apachai.
"Yep." Sakaki nodded.
"You got it!" Apachai answered.
Once that was settled, Akisame took his leave. Kenichi only became more worried when he learned of this information."Darn it! I told Takeda to keep a low profile."
Shirou was focusing on their conversation as well but wasn't as concerned as Kenichi. That said, his focus shifted back to Shigure after he felt the tip of her spear pointed at his neck.
"I told… You to… Try not to die…" Shigure reminded him stoically. "If you… Lose focus like… That again… You'll be killed."
"Right, my mistake." Shirou acknowledged her advice and heeded it. "Anyway, let's begin."
"Now…" Shigure created some distance before she aimed her spear at him. "…Pay attention."
Shigure lunges forward and thrusts the spear at Shirou's head. He sidestepped to the side to escape its path, but then, while it was still extended, Shigure let go of her spear and let it fall. This was meant to be a distraction to misdirect his focus for a moment as Shigure followed up by taking out an iron nunchuck from her kimono and swinging it at his body.
Shirou used his reaction speed to the best of his abilities to narrowly avoid the nunchucks, but that ended up leaving him unbalanced and on unsteady legs. Shigure shocked him again by revealing that the nunchucks were also a misdirection as in the seconds that this exchange took place, her spear had yet to hit the floor, and with her foot, she caught it and kicked it back up before she caught it with her hand.
Shirou had no way to avoid it this time, and Shigure stepped in like a jaguar going for the kill as she thrust her spear right at his head.
SLASH!
The result was her intentionally missing the kill shot, and the spear slashed past Shirou's cheek, only managing to open a small cut on his cheekbone. Still, Shirou exhaled, having to calm his nerves down after the fast-paced exchange.
"Just because… A weapon leaves… The hands of… Its wielder… Doesn't mean you… Should stop… Being alert of it…." Shigure instructed him while lowering her spear. "You have to… Learn to be… Aware of everything… Your opponent is… doing without letting… Yourself be fooled by… What's reflected in your eyes."
"She's right. I kept getting thrown off by subtle movements that he instinctively focused on." Shirou realized, annoyed at himself. "If this were a real fight, she'd have killed me."
Shigure continued with more advice. "It's not bad… To be… In tune with your… Instincts… But, sometimes… it can be… used against you. A Weapons Master must be… Fully in tune with… Both instinct and intuition."
"Right." Shirou responded, taking her advice.
"All right, now it's finally my turn." Kensei stepped forward. "For this technique, why don't we step outside?"
"Fine with me." Shirou didn't object to his suggestion as they moved outside.
Later that day, at Akisame's bone-setting clinic, Takeda arrived for his checkup. Right now, Takeda was sitting on the patient table with his shirt off while Akisame examined his arm.
"Everything looks okay." Akisame finished up the checkup.
"Yeah, it feels fine." Takeda put his shirt back on. "So doc…"
"Something's bothering you, isn't it?" Akisame knew it before he could even bring it up.
"I haven't even said anything?" Takeda was taken by surprise by the way Akisame already knew what was on his mind. "There's no getting past this guy." He then spoke out loud while looking at his arm. "Yeah, I've been thinking. I've worked so hard to heal and try to train my body, and, in the end, it's all for nothing." He closed his eyes and wore a smile of self-deprivation. "Makes you wonder what the point of Martial Arts really is."
"There's a saying: Humans are born, then they die. Thus, is it better to not have been born at all?" Akisame recited the proverb while washing his hands. "I used to wonder the same thing. But you have to ask yourself, what can I accomplish during that short period of life?"
Takeda became emotional and spoke loudly. "I don't care if I ruin my body by Boxing! I have no regrets about that! But if Ragnarok cripples me…"
"Don't go into a fight assuming that you'll lose." Akisame advised him.
"No one has ever escaped Ragnarok! Those guys are out to kill me!" Takeda finally dropped all pretenses and revealed that he truly did understand how dire his situation was. "If you knew how dangerous they were, you wouldn't be acting so casually about it."
"Really?" Akisame asked before he faced him. "Come with me. There's something I think you should see."
Takeda was confused. He didn't know what it was he planned on showing him but trusted him enough to see it anyway.
After leaving the clinic, Akisame led Takeda back to the Dojo. The whole way, he never explained or even gave a hint as to what he was planning to show him until they finally arrived.
Once they got to the gates, Takeda looked around. "What's this place?"
Akisame still didn't answer and just led him to the training hall, where the door was open. Inside, Kenichi was still training, and currently, he was still training with Sakaki, who was still trying to teach him the technique he showed him earlier.
"Too slow!" Sakaki yelled before he attacked.
"Gugh!" Kenichi was hit and knocked off his feet before being sent flying across the room. When he stopped, he let out a groan. "Ugh…"
Takeda's eyes widened when he saw Kenichi take such a severe hit. "Is he gonna be alright?"
Sakaki stood over Kenichi while he was still down. "How many times do I gotta tell you, you have to direct the incoming blow downwards and then use the same move to strike at the opponent's chin!" He explained once again before crossing his arms. "This is just the first technique. If you don't wanna learn, we can just forget about it."
Before Sakaki could turn away, Kenichi raised his head and breathed out painfully. "Please, continue, Master Sakaki…." Despite the damage, Kenichi's motivation wasn't hindered at all. "I have to master this technique as soon as possible."
Sakaki was pleased by his attitude and turned back. "All right, now you're talking like a true Disciple. Get up!"
"Right!" Kenichi quickly picked himself off the floor.
Takeda watched all that took place and was still watching as Kenichi continued to struggle with the training. As he looked on, Akisame explained. "You see, he's chosen to undergo this severe training regimen to learn how to be able to protect you."
Kenichi kept getting hit and kept getting knocked down, but no matter how many times he went down, he always got back up and tried again. Giving up wasn't even an option in his eyes.
"Kenichi isn't like you, Takeda." Akisame continued as they kept watching. "He has absolutely no natural aptitude for the Martial Arts at all. But, also, unlike you, he doesn't give up or give in." As he said that, Kenichi rose to his feet again. "You see what I'm talking about? You're not as alone as you might think, and as long as your friends are willing to go the distance, don't you think you owe it to them to hang in there yourself?"
Takeda closed his eyes and lowered his head before he turned away. His fists were trembling as he contemplated everything he had just seen and heard.
"You know, he's an interesting guy, our young Kenichi." Akisame noted, still watching him. "He comes off as cowardly, but then he'll surprise you by turning around and doing something amazingly brave. He seems as timid as a mouse, but then he'll suddenly turn around and take a stand." He looked at him with pride. "At first, I didn't know what to make of him, but now I think I figured out what makes him tick."
"And, just what would that be?" Takeda asked curiously.
"Well, simply put—Kenichi Shirahama will do anything, dare anything, even risk his life, to protect the lives of the people he cares about." Akisame answered without any doubt.
"Geez, that was beyond corny. Like something out of an 80's movie."
Akisame and Takeda turned to see Shirou approaching them.
"That whole cliche speech and protecting others gets lamer every time I hear it." Shirou commented after stopping in front of them. "I could never get behind the concept."
"Well, I suppose it's not for everyone, but I happen to find it to be a very good quality in a Martial Artist, and I believe it is one of Kenichi's finest virtues." Akisame confessed honesty.
"And yet, you'll never say that to his face." Shirou pointed out.
"Oh, don't worry." Akisame smiled and stroked his mustache. "I will when it's the right time."
Takeda was focused on the state that Shirou was in. Right now, he looked more beaten up than Kenichi. While he wasn't breathing heavily or struggling to stand, he was littered with bruises and dirt stains that came from taking a lot of hits and being knocked to the ground repeatedly.
"What kind of training have you been doing?" Takeda felt compelled to ask.
"The kind that will prepare me for Kisara Nanjo." Shirou answered with a serious expression. "If our opponents are only going to get tougher from here on, I need my training to be much tougher as well."
With that, Shirou stepped past them and into the training hall as he walked up to Kenichi and Sakaki. While he was doing that, Sakaki roared as he threw another punch at Kenichi, and Kenichi attempted once again to execute the technique.
This time, miraculously, Kenichi was able to redirect Sakaki's attack downward and used the same hand to strike upward at his chin. Before he was hit, Sakaki caught Kenichi's hand, but still, he smiled with pride at seeing Kenichi finally execute the technique successfully.
"Now I think you've got it." Sakaki praised him.
Kenichi breathed heavily but smiled all the same, satisfied that he had finally succeeded in the first technique. It was at that moment that Shirou got their attention.
"Congrats, you pulled off one technique." Shirou said sarcastically. "Don't forget. This is just the starting point. It's too soon to be satisfied."
"Yeah, I know." Kenichi was aware of that fact but was happy nonetheless. "Why are you here?"
"Kensei just finished showing me his technique." Shirou answered before he faced Sakaki. "Now that I've seen all those techniques, I want to start training on using them, starting with you."
"Fine by me, punk. We can get started right now." Sakaki responded to his enthusiasm in kind. "Kenichi, go start training with the others now."
"Right." Kenichi bowed before he ran off to find one of the other Masters.
Sakaki turned his attention back to Shirou." So, punk, let's get started. The technique I showed you earlier starts with—"
"No." Shirou cut him off. "I didn't come here just to learn that technique."
"What?" Sakaki was caught off guard.
"You showed me two techniques today, one for me and one for Kenichi." Shirou elaborated. "I want to learn both of them."
"Both?" Now Sakaki was surprised. "You want to learn two different advanced Karate techniques back-to-back on the same day?"
"You bet I do." Shirou's gaze was filled with determination and confidence. "Or what, did you assume I'd be satisfied learning just one technique?"
Seeing his attitude made Sakaki pause momentarily before he smiled, somewhat expecting this kind of outrageous decision from Shirou. "Fine, it's that's how you want it. But, I'm not gonna hold back just because you're already roughed up. So, don't complain if something breaks!"
With that, Sakaki charged at him the same way he did with Kenichi. Like before, Akisame and Takeda were watching, and Shirou was having a hard time staying on his feet.
"You know, I think Shirou is a different breed entirely." Akisame said, which Takeda paid attention to again. "He may have a natural aptitude for Martial Arts like you, and he may never give up when faced with adversity like Kenichi, but at his core, he's not like either of you."
Takeda didn't understand what he meant by that, as Akisame just kept watching him.
"Most would be reluctant or even reclusive to such severe training, but not only does he welcome it, he demands more of it." Akisame pointed out. "No matter how much he improves, he is never satisfied. More than battle or victory, what he desires is growth. When it comes to training, he's like a starving beast. He hungers for it and never misses an opportunity to grow beyond his current self. His greed knows no bounds."
Throughout the day, Shirou and Kenichi's training continued to push them to their limits, and Takeda just kept watching his two friends pushing themselves beyond what he thought was even reasonable in order to learn all these harsh techniques.
This continued until the sun started to set, and Kenichi was knocked down by Apachai so hard that he became delirious and started rambling nonsense while Shirou was launched into the wall by Sakaki and sprayed on the ground.
Seeing the two of them work so hard and push themselves so severely, all for the sake of helping him in his plight, made Takeda smile. He was touched by it, but more than that, he was inspired by it. Now, the knowledge that Ragnarok was out to get him didn't feel so intimidating anymore. Thus, he walked away and prepared to leave.
Miu noticed Takeda walk by and made her way to Kenichi. Right now, Kenichi had just been dowsed with two buckets of water and was still acting delirious, so Sakaki got behind him and held onto his shoulders.
"Okay, enough's enough." Sakaki said, fed up as he used his knee to strike a nerve on the base of Kenichi's spine.
POP!
"Aaaaaahhhhh!" Kenichi cried out loudly as his spine let out an audible popping noise before he stopped and looked around as though he was suddenly becoming aware of his surroundings. "Huh?"
"So, you back in the real world, little man?" Sakaki asked him.
"Hey!" Miu called out as she ran up to them. "Kenichi, Takeda's leaving. He asked me to tell you goodbye."
"What?" Kenichi was surprised by this information. "I didn't even know he was here."
"I did." Shirou added as he and Apachai were behind him. "He showed up a while ago."
Akisame stood in front of the gate to see Takeda off as he was walking away. But before he could leave, Kenichi appeared and called out to him.
"Takeda, wait!" Kenichi addressed him.
Takeda greeted him with a casual smile. "Oh hey, Kenichi, they finally gave you a break?"
"What, so you really were watching me?" Kenichi clearly was happy about that. "Hey, next time you're planning to stop by, let me know or something."
"Actually, it was my idea to bring him here." Akisame informed him.
"Huh?" Kenichi was a little surprised by that but focused on the problem at hand. "I thought I told you to lay low for a little while. What are you doing here? You've gotta be more careful."
"It couldn't be helped." Akisame jumped into the conversation again. "He had an appointment for a physical at the bone clinic today."
Kenichi reluctantly accepted that knowing couldn't argue with that reason. "Yeah, I get it, but still… Wait a sec, what about my cellphone number? Have you programmed it into your speed dial like I asked you to?"
"Uh, well…" Takeda's attempt to avoid answering proved that he didn't.
"Come on!" Kenichi snapped at him. "Okay, wise guy, hand it over now."
Heeding his demand, Takeda took out his cell phone and presented it to Kenichi, who proceeded to quickly snatch it from his hands and program his number on the speed dial.
"Seriously, what the Hell do I have to do to get you to start listening to me?" Kenichi complained irritably while programming the phone.
"Give me a break." Takeda shrugged.
Once he was done, Kenichi handed him back his phone. "Here, it's programmed and ready to go." Despite being serious on the outside, on the inside, Kenichi was beaming with excitement. "Sweet! I'm finally on somebody's speed dial! Is this cool or what?!" He then went back to being serious. "Right, so if anything happens, remember to call me right away, got it? Promise me, will you!"
"You know, it's that pushy attitude of yours that makes me reluctant to put you on my speed dial." Shirou commented as he appeared behind Kenichi, startling him. He faced Takeda. "You still have my number, too, right?"
"You, do I have to promise to call you too?" Takeda asked jokingly.
Shirou remained serious before he told him. "Look, you don't have to call if you feel it doesn't come to that. You don't even have to put it on speed dial. Just remember that it's an option in case you need it." Shirou walked up to him and patted his fist on Takeda's chest. "We're a team. That means I've got your back, all right."
"Yeah, ditto man." Takeda nodded before he turned around. "Hey, thanks for everything, you guys. Bye."
Finally, Takeda took his leave and walked off into the sunset. As he departed, Kenichi still called out warnings. "Watch your back and avoid any dark alleys!"
"Ignore the boy scout!" Shirou called out as well.
As he left, Takeda remembered the words Akisame told him earlier and now took them to heart.
(You're not as alone as you might think, and as long as your friends are willing to go the distance, don't you think you owe it to them to hang in there yourself?)
After Takeda was gone and they were done training for the day, everyone went inside the dining room to relax. Everyone except Shigure stepped out for a bit. While they minded their own business, Kenichi was still looking at his phone in case Takeda called, and Kensei went up to him.
"Wait to go, kid. I didn't know you had a cell." Kensei then brought out his own cell phone. "Check mine out. It's the latest model."
"Man, that is cool!" Kenichi marveled at his phone.
"Figures you would be a sucker for trends." Shirou wasn't impressed.
Apachai saw them and became envious as he went over to Miu. "Apachai want to have a cellphone, too! Buy me one!" He whined while flailing his arms around before he finished with a small whimper. "…Please!"
Miu kept her focus on bookkeeping everyone's expenses as well as calculating how much spending money they still had for essentials. "We don't have that kind of extra money right now." She said like how an adult would scold a child who was asking for a toy.
At that point, Hayato appeared. "Now, now." He acted to placate Apachai by taking their old school, windup house phone and ripping it out of its electric wire before he handed it to Apachai. "Here, knock yourself out with this mobile phone."
"Apa!" Apachai cheered with excitement.
"You can't just pull the telephone cord out of the wall!" Miu angrily reprimanded him.
Apachai then held the phone up to Kenichi and offered it to him. "Wanna trade?"
"No way." Kenichi didn't even need to think about it.
Later that evening, Takeda was walking along a narrow walkway beneath a railroad bridge with a fence blocking one side and brick walls on the other side.
He walked in silence as the train passed by above his head, but as he kept walking, Takeda soon realized he wasn't alone and came to a halt. First, he noticed someone was behind him, and a few others were hiding behind the walls.
He narrowed his eyes and addressed his pursuers. "You can come out! I know someone's there!"
Since he already knew they were back there, they came out of hiding. Walking out of the corner behind him were several members of Ragnarok. Climbing over the walls were more members of Ragnarok, including Koga The Kicker.
Takeda was now boxed in as a crowd of Ragnarok Delinquents surrounded him on both sides. If that weren't enough, he looked up when he noticed one more person standing on top of the wall—The one leading this ambush.
There, Kisara stood, hands on her hips as she looked down at him with a predatory gaze. "Well, it's Takeda."
Takeda flashed her a smile and a wink. "Hey, gorgeous, long time no see."
Kisara answered with an icy death glare that promised pain. "The name's Kisara, you gutless traitor."
"What a loser." Koga taunted him, more than ready to start the beating. "Come on, guys, let's get him."
Before anyone could step forward, though, one person in particular held Koga back and stepped in front of him. That person was Ukita. "Hold on. Let me handle it."
With that, everyone stayed back as Ukita stepped up to confront Takeda. Now, the members of the Takedown Trio were reunited after so long, but now, Takeda wasn't from being their leader to begin their enemy.
"Ukita…" Takeda said forebodingly as he dropped his duffel bag. "That's how it is?"
He then reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone, which Koga took notice of. "What's wrong? Are you gonna call the cops or something?"
Takeda contemplated on whether or not he should make the call, but the truth was that he already made up his mind from the beginning. "I know I promised, Kenichi, but I gotta do this on my own."
After that, Takeda threw his phone to the side, and it landed on top of his duffel bag. Unknowingly, though, the way he threw his phone caused a button to be pushed, which set up the speed dial.
Now that the two of them were facing off, Ukita spoke before they started. "You know what? You've been a weirdo for as long as I've known you. After a fight, I've seen you praise your opponent to comfort him. And you'd chew me out if I fought unfairly." He recalled their past. "Oh sure, they like to call us the Takedown Trio, but deep down, you were a sportsman, and we were a couple of thugs. We had no code of honor." Finally, he glared at him. "Man, how I hated your guts."
"Ha." Takeda raised his fists in preparation to attack. "That's a shame, 'cause you know, I never hated you for a single moment."
Finally, Ukita didn't wait any longer. He psyched himself up and laughed as he reached out for his target so he could throw him. But, to the surprise of everyone there, the person he grabbed and locked his grip on wasn't Takeda. It was Koga.
Koga was completely taken by surprise and off guard as Ukita hoisted up and held him above his head like a sack of flour. "Ukita! What are you doing?!"
Ukita answered with a wide grin as he swung Koga around to knock away anyone who was nearby before he used all that forward momentum to throw Koga into the air in a straight course toward Kisara. Kisara merely leaned out of the way as Koga sailed past her and was launched over the wall.
If Kisara was angry before, she was livid now. But Ukita just laughed brazenly at her. "As of right now, I—Ukita The Thrower—Officially resign from Ragnarok!" He declared proudly before facing the thugs surrounding him. "So, do any of you ladies got a problem with that?"
Most of them looked less confident than before, considering they now had to face both of them. Takeda and Ukita stood back to back as Takeda looked at him with a look of gratitude. "Ukita, thank you."
"Wha?" Ukita was caught off guard by those words. "Idiot, I'm not doing this for you. I wanna go back and do real Judo again like I did before I was a useless Delinquent."
"'Course, I'm sure you know that no one has ever left the gang." Takeda reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Ukita drawled in response. "No one has ever successfully left Ragnarok and management to walk away whole. That was what you were gonna say, wasn't it?" He didn't seem concerned by that fact. "I know we'll take a pounding, but at least we can show them what we're made of. If I've gotta go, I'm taking them with me."
"I'm afraid that I can't go along with your little plan." Takeda argued.
"Say what?" Ukita retorted.
Takeda had a calm look on his face as he recited. "You shouldn't go into a fight assuming you'll lose."
(By Akisame)
Ukita just smiled wider at that statement. "Man, what is it with guys like you? Do you just live to piss other people off?"
They both smirked at each other, ready for a fight. Kisara just gave them both a condescending smile. "Aw, male bonding, that is so touching." She then sighed as she got down to business. "Ukita, since you asked for it, I'm going to dish out your punishment for betraying us right now. Boys! Get 'em!"
At her command, all of the grunts charged forward and swarmed Takeda and Ukita. The violent brawl was finally underway as they both fought back against their attacks, unleashing punches and throws at anyone in front of them.
In the midst of all that fighting, one of them was knocked onto Takeda's duffel bag and knocked his phone away. This, in turn, caused the speed dial to switch on and automatically call the first number that was listed on it, which happened to be Kenichi's number."
RINGRINGRING!
Back at the Dojo, Kenichi heard his phone ringing and became relieved when he saw the number on the caller ID. "It's Takeda, sweet. He actually called me."
As Kenichi moved to answer his phone, Apachai moved faster and snatched it from him before answering it himself. "Hello! Give Apachai money, and he teach you how to kill!"
"Apachai! Give it!" Kenichi scolded him.
Apachai looked at the phone with confusion. "Funny, no one is answering?"
"Hand it over already!" Kenichi didn't wait this time and just snatched the phone back before placing it in his ear. "Hey, Takeda, is there something wrong? Is everything okay, man?!" Like Apachai said, no one answered the phone. Instead, all he could hear were strange voices in the distance that were muffled to make sense of. "What's going on? I can't make anything out?"
"Put it on speakerphone." Shirou suggested.
When he did so, the voices from the phone were louder, but they still could hardly make sense of them. Kensei then walked over to them.
"Here." He took the phone and held it by his ear to make out whatever he could. "Ah, I see. It would seem that your friend accidentally hit the speed-dial function."
"It sounds like he's in the middle of a big mob of people." Miu guessed.
"It sounds to me like he's in the middle of a fight!" Kenichi noticed urgently.
"Not a fight, an ambush." Shirou deduced, knowing the only possibility. "Ragnarok."
"Sheesh…" Kensei hushed them as he picked out whatever words he could understand from the background. "Takeda… We'll kill you… Ukita… You're done for…"
Kenichi grimaced after hearing all that. "I knew it."
"Hey! Apachai says hello!" Apachai yelled towards the phone before leaning on Kenichi's shoulder. "Do you think he heard me?!"
"What the Hell's your problem?! Don't you see they're in trouble?!" Kenichi snapped angrily at him.
"Apa!" Was all he could say in his defense.
"Wait, we may be able to help him." Kensei said with urgency. "Everyone, hold still." He instructed them as he listened clearly into the phone, as though searching for something specific. "I hear what sounds like a train passing by on an overpass in the background."
"A train?" Shirou repeated before he took off.
"Wait! Where are you going!?" Kenichi called out, but Shirou didn't stop or look back as he ran at top speed out of the Dojo's grounds and onward to reach Takeda's location.
"Do you think he might know where Takeda is?" Miu theorized the reason behind his sudden departure.
"You think?" Kenichi immediately responded to that theory. "In that case, we better go too!"
"Wait, let's not chance it." Kensei advised them. "Miu, bring me your student directory and a city map now."
"What are you gonna do with that?" Kenichi asked, unaware.
"I'm going to check possible routes he might have taken home from Ryozanpaku and see if they intercept with any train overpasses." Kensei answered, not wanting to waste time.
"That's brilliant, Kensei. I'll get them right away." Miu hurried to fetch them.
"Oh, I get it now!" Kenichi exclaimed, sounding impressed. "Awesome, I didn't know you had it in you!"
"He didn't know I had it in me? What kind of idiot does he think I am?" Kensei thought, cringing at Kenichi's comment. "That hurts!"
Back at the walkway beneath the overpass, Takeda and Ukita were still tearing their way through all the enemy Delinquent that surrounded them. The more they defeated, the more others stood to take their place, and even though they were still to get winded, they still stood tall.
After standing by long enough, Kisara hopped off of the wall and stood before Takeda herself.
"Ah, The Puncher, and they called you that even when you were only using your right hand, didn't they?" Kisara looked around, admiring Takeda's abilities in defeating so many of her men. "What a pity. Seems like such a shame to destroy such a fighter like you."
"You know, I heard about you. I guess you're expecting me to congratulate you on your promotion, huh?" Takeda sounded casual on the outside, but on the inside, he was aware of how deadly the opponent in front of him was. "The Eighth Fist of Ragnarok—Kisara Nanjo. She's a formidable opponent, but I have no intention of being defeated, no way in Hell."
After finding the location they were looking for on the map, Kenichi and Miu changed out of their training clothes and ran out of the Dojo, hoping to find and rescue Takeda.
"Come on, let's go!" Kenichi shouted in a hurry.
"Do you think Shirou will be there too?" Miu asked as they ran.
"All we can do is hope that he's heading for the same place!" Kenichi replied, focusing more on getting there in time. "I know who he's up against. Why? Why didn't he call me? Hang on, Takeda!"
—…
And that's the chapter.
As you saw, this chapter was mainly focused on starting advanced technique training. I chose to add more to that than there was in the canon because this was another opportunity to demonstrate how Shirou and Kenichi's training goes in different directions. While they train under the same master, they are taught different techniques.
Plus, unlike Kenichi, Shirou wants to learn as much as he can from all of them and doesn't avoid any of their training. And their motives are different. Kenichi wants to grow stronger for the sake of protecting others, while Shirou wants to grow stronger just for the sake of it. That difference is what separates them as Martial Artists.
Now, the brawl against Kisara's gang has finally begun, and Takeda and Ukita are in a tight spot. I have a plan for what will take place in the next chapter, and it will be a heavily combat-focused chapter, but just to let you know, Shirou will not be fighting Kisara in the next chapter. I have something more interesting in mind.
Anyways, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. If you want more, leave a review. If you liked the story, click the follow/favorite, and as always, have an awesome day.