An unfamiliar place yet a familiar feeling; This man has never been to this place before. However, something about it was so chilling to him. A sense of familiarity. "What is this place?" The man looked around. The smell of burning ash and embers filled his nostrils. The flickering flames danced all around him.
This place...it was not his home. The cobblestone paths the architecture. That seemed like a strange amalgamation of the modern era and something one would see in a fantasy novel. The kind that consisted of dragons and knights.
Yet, such things never existed in the post-apocalypse. Still, against all laws of logic and reason, he stood in the middle of it. "Where am I?" The man spoke to himself, rising to his feet. His cloak fell from his form. Confused and bewildered, this was not the cave he took refuge in.
"A dream?" he said to himself, but it felt too real for a dream. The heat was too intense, the stench of blood far too overwhelming. He had seen such atrocities before, but this time, it was different. He walked forward.
Looking around, Kenshiro attempts to make sense of his situation. Trying to understand the madness that was unfolding around him. He saw mangled and battered corpses littering the streets. Looks of fear, terror, and unbridled horror forever frozen on their faces.
Among the bodies, the man saw faces that he recognized. Yet he had never met these people before. However, the feeling that he knew them was one that he could not shake.
A small girl with pink hair in twin tails, her lifeless body slumped up against a wall. A little further down from her was a woman with lavender hair, her body bisected. As if she was crawling towards what he assumed was her friend before succumbing to her injuries.
As he continued on. He walked past a green-haired man impaled on a railing. Further down an alleyway, he happened upon what appeared to be two sisters, one older and the other younger. Both had passed in what looked like a bittersweet embrace as the fire consumed the raven-haired girls.
"What is this? Who could have done this?" He spoke to himself, he wandered in a daze, death surrounding him. Such scenes should not shock him; he had seen worse, far worse. And yet he could not help but feel powerless. A man who has taken countless lives. Whose fists have seen more death than any man could possibly imagine falls to his knees.
As if he had lost control of his own body, an unseen force was guiding him; for what purpose was he here? Why was he shown this? There must be a reason...there is always a reason, the will of the heavens guided this man his entire life. Now, the heavens were silent.
Only the smell of burning flesh and the pungent aroma of death remained. For the first time in a long time, the man felt powerless.
A rumble jolted him back to reality and brought his attention towards the center of the city in ruins. His eyes widened in fear as a massive black shape began to rise. The otherworldly howling it emitted. Its joints buckled as its metal body stretched outwards. In his entire life, he had never seen something so massive, yet he could not shake the feeling of familiarity.
It was the same feeling when the bombs fell, and the world was bathed in hellfire. The day humanity was brought to its brink. His world descended into chaos, where hope died, and the age of evil began. He thought he would never have to bear witness to such a thing again. The metal demon. Slow, cumbersome, and menacing. Shifted its gaze towards the man.
Now frozen in fear, his instincts tell him to run. Yet all he could do was stare at the massive figure, resembling a knight in full armor. Decked out with a large cape and helm. A dimmer of light began to emit from its core. It grew larger and brighter. "Damn it, move!" "Run!" He mentally screamed at himself. "Why can't I move?!". His brain demanded he start running, but his body refused.
As the light grew brighter, all he could do was lift his arms up in a futile attempt to shield himself. The air around the mass began to crackle and sizzle, distorting around its core. Then it came.
A loud, ear-piercing shriek rang through the air, and the beam shot out towards the man. Moving faster than light. All he could do in his final moments...all he could think of was her; The only person he ever loved. All he could manage to scream as the beam began to incinerate his flesh.
YURIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Rising from his deep slumber, the nightmare finally ends. Gasping for breath, he pauses. He sighs and paces himself; he knows better than this. He knows it would be wise to conceal his presence lest he falls prey to the many roving bandits in the area. Not that they would manage to even harm him.
Still, all he could say when he finally gathered his wits was, "A dream? No, a nightmare". He started to trace his hands over his face, wiping the sweat from his brow. Gliding his fingers down towards his chest. He felt the finger size indentation on his pectoral muscles. The remainder of what he lost, what he sacrificed, the reason he fights. To protect the weak, to defend those in a lawless world where madness reigns supreme. For it was his duty, that was the will of the heavens.
His resolve was unshakable. His determination is unfathomable. By his own two fists, he has laid waste to countless foes. Empires crumbled in his presence. He dispensed justice upon the wicked. Those who would seek to subjugate the innocent would face his wrath.
There would be no mercy, no reasoning with this man. All one could do when faced with such a man is to make peace with himself. This man is guided by the North Star.
For 1,800 years, his ancestors practiced an infamous martial art. One that kept the balance, since the time of the Han dynasty. When the world was plunged into chaos when the celestial emperor fell, the light of Hokuto pacified and brought order to a land rife with turmoil.
Since that time, there has always been one successor. For if the secrets of Hokuto Shinken were misused, disaster would follow. Such a future almost came to pass.
In the year 199X, the sky burned, and cities fell.
Yet, humanity refused to go quietly into the night. Mankind struggled onward, doing what they could to survive, and humankind descended into madness. Life was cheap, morality a distant memory.
The strong subjugated the weak, treating them like cattle. Robbing them of what little humanity they had left. Empires rose on the backs of slaves, with all hope of returning to some sense of normality faded. But then, he appeared.
Through his fists, he brought order back to his world, at a high cost but one he was willing to make, he lost everything. His friends, family, and finally, the woman he loved. Yet, that was a long time ago.
It was years since he took his own brother's life, years since he laid his beloved to rest, years since the land of Asura. The shackles of oppression were long since broken. Now, he wanders with no destination.
The world seems to be returning to its former glory, and cities are rebuilt. Water is slowly returning to its former state, and flora and fauna gradually growing. Life is returning. The seeds of hope grow strong.
In a world that no longer needs a savior, what will become of the 'Savior of century's end"? Even he is unsure but, for now, he walks with no destination in mind. All he knows is that wherever the North Star leads, he will follow.
Yet, the North Star's presence eluded him, he never had such a horrifying dream before. It felt less like a dream and more of a premonition, the feeling was different. Like some other force had taken control. Thinking back before he entered the cave, he retraced his steps.
He recalled wandering the desert following the North Star, its guidance paramount. But, he could only follow for so long. His eyes became heavy; his legs began to finally strain from the countless hours of walking. He could go no further wonderer known as Kenshiro is succumbing to exhaustion.
Stopping in his tracks, Ken looked around for shelter. Struggling to stay awake, he found a large cave. "It appears to be empty." thinking to himself. Staggering into the cavern, he was so fatigued he failed to check for neither traps nor bandit. It took little time for sleep to take him, and there he dreams.
He dreamed of days long since the past, Shin's betrayal resulting in the loss of Yuria. The countless days he spent traversing the wasteland to find her. Only to discover her passing.
He dreamed of when he met Bat, Lin, and Mamiya, remembering his first encounter with Rei. As he slumbered. The memories started to pass in faster succession, each event playing back in his mind.
Jagi reveals it was he who turned Shin towards the path of evil, rescuing his brother Toki. Facing his brother Roah for the title of the 64th. To finally besting Kaioh and free the Land of Asura, his birthplace. Faster and faster, the events played out in his mind.
Soon a green light started to interfere with the images, clouding Ken's mind like an explosion. He observed his vision as it became brighter until all he could see was white noise and distortion.
The sounds were deafening. Ken's mind quaked and shook. Battering his senses, louder and louder, the noise grew. Outside his mind in the real world, similar events played out.
The ground rumbled and split, as the green light cascaded from the trembling earth around the cave. Its lights shot into the heavens resembling green pillars growing brighter still.
Brighter and brighter until the light fully engulfed the cave. There was no longer any trace of the man with seven scars; he had vanished from the face of the earth. The soil settled, the light faded, and silence took its place. Trying to recall past events. Ken rose to his feet; he notices something was off about his choice of dwellings for the night.
Looking around the cave, he took shelter in, it soon dawned on him. "This cave...it's not the same one." Ken came to the realization that something was amiss. Something compelled him to become weary. Which is strange, he can go for days without sleep or food. So why of all days was this the one where he could not take one step further?
Was he tricked? No, if it were slavers, he would be in restraints. Besides, they would never even have the chance to get close to him in the first place. Nothing adds up. The interior was different, with a faint green glow emanating from the rocks. He looked down and noticed something even more puzzling.
"The floor, it's burned." As Kenshiro looked around, he began to circle the area he was sleeping in. "The entire area seems to have a human outline burned into the ground." "Did they try to burn me?" He kneeled down, investigating the residue, dragging his index finger along its surface.
"Hmm, still warm. They must have transported me here recently." He looked towards the ceiling only to see darkness. Ken wipes off the soot on his leather pants.
Furrowing his brow Ken sat up, "I won't get anywhere if I stay here." If there were any answers to where he was and who brought him here, he would not find them in this place. Nonetheless, leaving this cave in a rush would only serve to give away his presence to any possible danger in the area.
Channeling his aura, he cast it outwards to detect any other human presence in the area. "Another presence, it's faint, but it seems to be approaching at a quick pace." Ken contemplated his options. He is unsure of the other person's intent. "It does not seem strong, nor is it threatening." Continuing to assess the situation, Kenshiro increased his focus.
"It appears whoever is coming towards me also has company, there are about...five of them." The situation has changed. Now six presences are coming towards Kenshiro's location. The second group seems far more cautious than the first. More methodical in their approach,
He was at a crossroads, the chance of him being in unfamiliar territory was high. Adding to this, he was unsure of the intentions of the six, were they hostile, or were they even part of the same group? He did not want to spill blood unless he had to.
On the other hand, he could use the opportunity to interrogate one of them to find out how he got here in the first place. What he needed was answers, and the last thing he wanted was to be in an area he was unfamiliar with. As he was contemplating his decision, he detected the sound of a faint voice.
Atop a hill overlooking the cave in the middle of a large field, the tall grass sways with the passing breeze. There stands a girl with auburn hair who has a snug pair of headphones sitting atop her head.
"I'm finally here, even better, this looks like the cave described in the intel. Looks like the scout's information was correct".
The young woman dusted off her skirt as she opened the purse slung over her side and picked out a lollipop. "Well, I hope this is worth all the effort getting here, it's going to be annoying coming out all this way for nothing."
The young woman places the lollipop in her mouth and walks towards the cave's entrance. "They said it was a simple recon mission, you got this Chelsea, just find some intel and report back, easy."
Walking down the hill at a leisurely pace. She approaches the entrance of the cave. It seemed normal. Mundane even. Nothing to distinguish it from the countless other caves in the area. She pauses short of entering. Thinking to herself,
"Come to think of it, HQ did not tell me what it was I was looking for. Rushing into a cave that may or may not contain a sleeping danger beast would not be my smartest move. Damn it, I should have asked for some backup, at least some muscle in case this goes south."
Staring into the black void of the cave, Chelsea could not help but feel as though it were staring back at her. A gaping maw beckoned her, daring her to enter. Her nerves began to get the best of her.
"M-maybe I should come back a little later; I could grab a torch from the village so I can at least see what I am looking for." Pausing, she detects the sounds of footsteps behind her. Turning around, an unwelcome sight greets her.
"Looks like you need an escort, we'd be happy to oblige you, little lady. well, for a price of course." The leader of the men spoke, his voice oozing with ill intent.
They are part of the local Imperial patrol, and from the looks of it, none too friendly, there were five of them. With various weapons holstered but at the ready to attack.
They blocked the path that she came from, five of them surrounding her. They all had the look of devious intent upon their faces, The shadows of the cave spreading on their visages. Giving them the appearance of hungry wolves that had cornered their prey.
Her heart missed a beat, "How did they sneak up on me?" Mentally chastising herself for making such an amateur mistake, she attempted to remain composed.
"Me? Oh, I was passing through on my daily walk, I just wanted to take a break in the shade for a moment." She made up a story on the fly.
The older man who appears to be the leader crosses his arms as he approaches her. "Daily stroll?" I have been stationed in this backwater village for the past six months, and I've never seen you before. What's your name, little girl?" He demands with what little patience he has draining by the second.
Chelsea pauses; she has to think fast. Her options were limited. If she tries to escape now, they will be looking for her later. That could put the local village in jeopardy as well. If she used Gaea foundation to disguise herself and run into the cave and wait it out. Again they would be looking for her.
Killing them all would be out of the question; at best, she could take out two tops before being overpowered, "Think damn it, think!"
The man grew annoyed and raised his voice at her, "The matter with you? You don't even know your own name? You retarded or something?" The man taunted her.
One of his larger subordinates lumbers towards the captain,
"Boss, we're a few miles from the nearest village, and we got an entire cave to ourselves. Why not 'Interrogate' her? No one's going to know." The men around her began to chuckle with sinister intent.
The captain gave his subordinate a devious glance, "Well, there have been reports of rebel activity in the area. Maybe our little lady over here can assist us." Inch by inch, the men approach her, Chelsea had backed herself into a wall.
"She got a pretty mouth." Remarked the scraggly-looking officers.
"Yeah, he, he, you seem to be good at sucking on lollipops, let's see how you handle the real thing!" Said the stockier brown-skinned officer licking his lips.
Her situation had gone from bad to worse, fight or flight. She had to make a decision fast. "Come on guys, you don't want to do this, I'm...I'm a virgin! I want to save my first time for someone I love! (What the hell am I saying?!)" she thinks to herself.
The men paused, and looked at each other before directing their gaze back to her, "That's even better!" The captain proclaimed. |
"Ohh boy, I can't wait to pop this bitch's cherry!" The dark-skinned man said.
"It's been ages since I've gotten any, and there aren't any brothels back in town." The captain continued, "Oh, but don't worry, our interrogations are not too intense. We'll be real gentle with you".
Her mind racing, Chelsea tried to think of something. Anything to get her out of this situation. Her mouth opened words trying to escape. Yet, the only thing she could say was, "Oh...shit."
As he traversed the interior of the cave, Kenshiro followed the growing light with the hope that it will lead to an exit. As he continued, he began to notice an odd smell. It was nostalgic, an aroma he thought he would never smell again. "Pinewood?" Continuing on, he recognizes even more familiar smells.
"It smells so fresh, so clean." He could no longer smell the stench of stagnation he had become accustomed to; the smell of decay was gone. The vague feeling of radiation was no longer present.
As he continued his pace, he felt his foot sink into something wet as it splashed against his ankle. He looks down. "Is that? It cannot be." The light peering in from above shined down on a large pool of water.
It was so pristine, clear, and untouched by radiation. Feeling like a dream, the man with seven scars must still be. Water in this much abundance unguarded to boot was unheard of. Such a precious commodity, and yet here it was surrounding him.
Reaching down cautiously, Ken cups his hands into the water, raising them to his lips. Taking a sip, he pauses, his eyes widen "it's fresh." He allows himself to savor the flavor. How long had it been since he last drank freshwater? It mattered little now.
Taking out a medium-sized canteen from his leather jacket, Ken dunks it into the pool filling it up to the brim. Standing up from the lake. Looking around, he detects the faint sound of yelling.
"It appears I have company." Ken turns his attention towards the yelling. Approaching the source of the sound, he hears the voice of a young woman in distress. "You don't want to do this, I'm...I'm a virgin! I want to save my first time for someone I love!" Her voice was fraught with panic and desperation.
"It seems no matter where I am, there are those who prey on the weak," Ken remarked to himself. Observing the predicament the girl was in. He looked on as the group of thugs cornered the girl.
Their armor was anachronistic in stark contrast to the girl's more modern-looking attire. He knew not of this place's customs nor what this girl did to warrant it. Nevertheless, it mattered little. He had seen this exact scenario play out countless times to know his intervention was required.
"Take off your clothes, NOW"! The captain demanded, "Either you take them off, or I'll rip them off for you!" His voice booming, the captain signaled his men to restrain her.
Formulating a desperate plan. Chelsea had to face the situation and take a chance. "Alright, just don't hurt me!"
Smiling sheepishly, Chelsea begins to unbutton her blouse, "One at a time; I'll let you do whatever you want, and I'll stay quiet." The men smiled at her, nodding in approval, 'Now that's what I'm talking about!" proclaimed the dark-skinned officer. He grabs Chelsea by the shoulders.
"It's been so goddamn long!" Barely containing his lust, the man began to tug on her blouse. The stench of his breath repulsing her. "Just a little closer, you disgusting pig." She mutters to herself as she pulls a metal object from inside her blouse. With a flash, searing pain fills the man's head.
"GAHHHHHHH"! The man screams in blinding pain. Chelsea drove a large needle into his right eye, the thug desperately attempts to pull out the offending object.
"Bro!" Shouts one of his fellow officers,
"Ah, you fucking bitch!" Shouts the man clawing at his eye,
"Now's my chance"! Chelsea starts to run in the ensuing confusion and chaos. "I need to break contact with them, get to the woods. Change into a small animal or something and slink away!" She darts past her attackers, dodging swings and blows as they pursue her.
"Almost there! Just a little more!" Closer and closer to the entrance, she continued to run, she refused to be captured. "I did it! I'm ho-" before she could finish, a loud crack echoed throughout the cave. The sound of a leather-clad fist backhanding Chelsea. Sending her tumbling to the ground,
"Ugh..." She groans. Her vision was hazy, the taste of iron filling her mouth. Looking at the ground, she saw droplets of blood beginning to pool beneath her. Turning her head upwards, she looks on frozen in fear. The captain standing over her, his sword rose above his head.
"You fucking whore! I'll cut your goddamn head off!" He swings his sword downwards with a sadistic grin on his face. Chelsea could only raise her arms up in a futile attempt to shield herself.
"No! Not like this!" She screamed internally as the blade accelerated towards her, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, and yet...it never came.
"She paused, "Why am I still talking? Shouldn't I be dead?" Confused, the blade should have cleaved her head in two by now, but nothing happened. She expected to be feeling steel on her skull by now, but everything had become eerily quiet.
"Am I already dead?" She contemplates, then lowers her arms and opens her eyes; they widen in shock as she looks up. The lollipop falls from her mouth, agape in confusion.
"What the hell? Why can't I move?" The captain struggled to finish the blow but could not. With all his might, his sword would not budge.
Chelsea turned her gaze away from the captain looking upwards; she saw that the sword was being held by nothing more than a gentle grip, and the hand holding the weapon in place was massive. That is when their eyes finally met.
"Wh-Who is he?" Chelsea looked on dumbfounded, she could not comprehend what she was looking at, "He's huge. Was he in this cave? He's the reason I was sent here?" She thinks to herself.
His imposing frame towering over her, all she could do was stare in awe at her apparent savior. The man dressed from head to toe in full leather stood there in silence, watching her. Their contact did not break. "Those eyes..." She finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"They look so...sad." yet, she felt a calming presence from him. One that made her feel at peace, it was as though his eyes were staring into her very being. The statuesque man finally turned away from her, directing his full attention toward the captain.
"Who the hell are you?!" Shouted the captain, "Let go, you piece of shit! Do you know who you're fucking with?!" He threatened while struggling to pull his sword back.
The man clad in leather remained silent, only turning to look around him at the other guards. Mummers and mutters were the only things they could sputter out. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
"What are you standing around for? KILL HIM!" The captain screamed. The man in leather looked back towards the captain, lifting his other arm. Outstretching his hand and placing his index finger right between the captain's eyes.
Chelsea observed the man's large finger, it was so large and thick as if it had honed over the years to an almost ludicrous degree.
"W-what the hell are you doing"?! The captain protested, the man in leather lowered his arm but kept his grip on the blade.
"Grr...," the captain continued to strain to try to break the man in leather's grip on his sword. "God damn it, stop screwing with me!" Finally, he broke free, stumbling backward into his subordinates.
He raises the sword to his face and stares at it. "What the hell?" His sword was broken off neatly at the end. Dumbfounded, he looks back at the man in leather, holding the other piece in his hand.
"Boss! Are you ok?!" Said the scraggly officer.
Infuriated, the captain turns to his man. "What are you chicken-shits waiting for? An invitation? Kill that piece of...Ugh...oh..." The captain clutched the side of his head in discomfort.
Concerned, the fat officer grabbed the captain's shoulder, "What's the matter, boss?!" The large man starts to back away.
"My...head...oh god, my head!" The captain in distress starts to scream. His men's eyes widen, backing away. Chelsea wanted to look elsewhere, her mind told her to look anywhere but here, but her body refused.
"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The captain's head bloated rapidly and grew larger by the second. His veins swelled, and his eyes popped out of their sockets, inevitably leading to his skull erupting into a shower of gore, skull fragments, and brain matter. Splattering everything and everyone in the vicinity. Everything above his lower jaw was gone. He staggered backward, painting the cave's walls with his blood.
He unceremoniously collapsed onto the ground with a loud, wet thud. His body spasmed a few more times before going silent.
Chelsea's pupils shriveled at the sheer horror of what she had witnessed. She had seen death before, and even been responsible for some of it. But nothing of this magnitude.
The cave fell silent once more. The officers covered in their recently departed captain's brain matter unable to move. Fear overtook every emotion, logic has long since been thrown out the window. They started to shiver and quake.
They stared at the man in leather, waiting for him to move. However, he stared back at them. His gaze never broke. The larger man gripping his battle ax began to scream in rage, charging forward at the man in leather. The others follow shortly behind.
Fear and fury mixed together and clouded their better judgment; Screaming a war cry as they charged him. The man in leather turned his head to Chelsea and, in a deep and imposing voice spoke his first words to her, "You should get to cover."
Without even thinking, Chelsea scrambled to the nearest pile of rocks she could find. Huddling behind it as she watched the man in leather turn his attention towards his attackers.
The man in leather gripped the broken blade in his hand and flung it towards the large officer, striking him in the gut, knocking him onto the floor, and shrieking in pain. The others soon converged on him, weapons drawn determined to draw blood.
The man in leather began to exhale, "AAAAAAAAA!" Then he struck, "ATAH!" His fist connected with the scraggly officer's abdomen. Sending him careening into the cave wall. Splattering his ruin like a balloon filled with raw hamburger.
Chelsea recoiled in horror as bits and pieces of her attackers rained down around her.
Spinning on his heel. He intercepts another officer attempting to attack him from behind, "WAATA!" The kick decapitates the man's head clean off his shoulders. Three down, one to go.
The remaining officer rushed towards Kenshiro, but struggled to land a blow on him, the man in leather danced and weaved through his attacks. More and more, he swung in vain until he finally looked down. Only to find bloody stumps where his arms used to be.
"Wha-when di-OH GOD! MY ARMS!" The officer began to scream in agony as his body finally registered the pain. The man in leather appeared almost out of nothingness and struck the man in the head once more.
"UGH...HEIIIIIII"! The office's chest cavity swelled and burst apart, leaving only his lower legs to stagger a few steps before collapsing. As the man in leather stood observing his surroundings, his back turned to Chelsea. She moved away from her hiding place with caution.
"Holy shit!" She thought to herself, looking over the broken bodies of her former attackers. She struggled to compose herself, her heart still racing. Her courage was fried. However, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Movement.
"The big guy is still alive!" She shouts at the man in leather.
The large man screams bloody murder as he attempts to take Ken by surprise. His battle-ax crashed down in an arc towards the man in leather's forearm. Only for it to shatter on impact.
The large thug pulls the broken handle back, staring at it in disbelief. Turning to him with a dumbstruck look on his face, He has little time left to make sense of the situation as the man in leather stares back at him with a glare.
The thug attempts to shield himself, but it is a useless effort. The man in leather backhands him sending him crashing to the floor mere feet from Chelsea. She can only stare on in shock, her mind still reeling from what happened. Feeling a tug on her leg, she looks down.
"Plea-please help me." Her eyes widen as the large thug's head begins to expand as he begs her. "Please help me! My head, oh, god! I don't want to die like this, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" Chelsea's heart sank as she started kicking the man, trying to get him to let go.
"Let go! Don't touch me! Get off me!" She panics as she repeatedly strikes the man in the face with her boot. His skull begins to split. Her pupils shrivel, trying to turn away. Trying to get the sound of flesh and bone tearing apart out of her head. She screamed as his skull burst apart, covering her in viscera.
Soon the body stopped moving, and there she sat, motionless. Tears fell down her cheeks. Slowly she raised her hands to her face. Staring at them, the bits of bone, blood, and various organs covered them. She trembles uncontrollably.
Her body shook as she sat in the fetal position, tears continuing to flow, she noticed a shadow looming over her. Sounds of footsteps grow louder with every step; she looks up her eyes filled with fear.
The man in leather approaches her, "No, please...don't!" Her once confident voice now fraught with irrational fear, she backs away. Her body trembling, she cannot think straight. She tries to say something, but only incoherent babbling comes out.
She backs herself into a corner, looking up at the man in leather, her tears flowing. Her eyes are as wide as they ever could be, a million things race through her mind. She stutters, stammers, and sputters. The man leans down towards her.
"DON'T KILL ME!" She shouts it was the most coherent thing she had said in the past five minutes. Shielding her face, she waits for something to happen, Anything.
Seconds passed, but it felt like an eternity to her, slowly she moved her hands and opened her eyes. Only to see an open hand, calming down a bit, she looks at the hand. Finally, she looks up to see the man in leather staring her eye to eye.
He had a gentle expression on his face; as their eyes met once more, she felt all her anxiety fade. She heisted for a moment, but then she reached out toward his hand. She had no reason to trust him, all rules of logic dictated not to trust him. Yet looking into his eyes, she felt calm once more as if all the stress and anxiety drifted away.
Looking up at him, there were so many things she wanted to say. So many things she wanted to ask, but all she could say was.
"Those eyes..."
Author's Notes.
That's it for chapter one, I hope you enjoyed it. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time now. I enjoyed Akame ga Kill! Immensely but I always wondered what would happen if an old-school anime/manga hero was the lead. I immediately thought of my favorite Shonen Jump hero of all time Kenshiro, How would he interact with this world? Could he make a difference? These are the questions I asked myself, and after nearly three years of putting it off, I have decided to finally publish my story.
As for how this story fits in lore-wise, it will take place about a month or so before the events of akame ga kill manga. After that, it will weave its own narrative using elements from both the anime and manga of akame ga kill and the character's fates will change. Kenshiro will obviously have a considerable impact on the story. He sort of has to. You really cannot dump him in Tatsumi's place like a few other AGK crossovers I've seen.
Ken needs to forge his own story, it would not work any other way. Now, this is my first story, so spelling and grammar will not be perfect. I will listen to all criticisms and apply them to my writing. I hope to improve and get better with time.
As for pairings and stuff like that, I want to keep it a secret. While romance is a big part of the story, I want to keep the reader guessing as to what will happen. Rest assured, it will not be like the established canon. Also, even though some characters' fate will be different than the established lore, do not get too comfy. This story has a strong Hokuto no Ken influence to it, so anyone can still die, they will have a death befitting of HNK.
Thanks again for reading, and I hope to have chapter 2 up very soon.