Hey everyone, and get ready for this chapter. This chapter will mainly be an introduction chapter to set the groundwork for the story. We'll be meeting the residents of Ryozanpaku and seeing the meetings between them and our Protagonists. This chapter will also have Shirou show the current limit of his strength and abilities and what the Masters think of it.
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.
Where The Strong Gather; Ryozanpaku
After letting them through the front door, the Elder began leading Shirou and Kenichi through the dojo. While walking around, they noticed the dojo was a very beautiful place. It was a traditional Japanese design that carried an aura of peace and serenity. It was peaceful enough that, for once, Kenichi wasn't freaking out.
"Um, Sir, what exactly do you teach here? I mean, you teach Karate, right?" Kenichi asked with a hopeful tone.
The Elder replied with a nod. "Um-hmm, among other things, yes."
"That's awesome." Kenichi thought, relieved.
"What kind of 'other things' do you mean?" Shirou asked, more interested in that topic.
"See for yourself." The Elder advised, pointing to his right.
The instant they looked in the direction he was pointing in, the aura of peace and serenity Kenichi felt was replaced by fear and dread, while Shirou, on the other hand, felt shocked and amazed.
What they saw was a giant of a man punching a sandbag with fists that looked strong enough to destroy the stone. He was extremely tall and powerfully built—more muscular than even the Elder. He also had tanned skin and short, spiky silver hair. He was seen wearing a yellow tank and red shorts, a mongkol around his head, and bandages wrapped around his hands and feet.
"What is that monster, and where on earth did it come from?" Kenichi asked, stricken with horror.
"That's Apachai Hopachai from Thailand." The Elder answered nonchalantly. "Only 28 years old, believe it or not."
"Not just that, he's doing textbook Muay Thai combo patterns." Shirou added, clearly impressed.
The Elder looked at Shirou with a little interest. "Well, now, I didn't think you'd be aware of that. Have you studied Muay Thai before?"
"I know enough." Shirou replied, not saying more. Then he thought. "But this is beyond anything I've seen. Not only does he have the build of a Heavyweight, but his form and technique are also so good he's like a machine. Every individual punch has enough power to end a fight, and using so many combos, one after another creates a rush that could rip apart a truck. I've never met anyone this good."
"A-Amazing." Kenichi uttered as if saying what Shirou was thinking in a single word.
Apachai, who had heard him, became more fired and let loose an unbelievable power uppercut that sent the sandbag flying upwards. He then did a quick shift towards a small stone statue, and with a powerful elbow, he smashed the stone into pebbles. But the giant wasn't finished. He followed by kicking trees and cutting them down as if his kicks were chopping axes.
With every move, Shirou looked on in awe at the display of power while Kenichi kept crying out in fear and disbelief until the Elder covered Kenichi's mouth to calm him down.
"Be careful you don't speak too loud." The Elder advised him. "If he hears you, he might start showing off."
"I think it's a little late for that." Shirou pointed out.
As he said, Apachai had moved on to punching the stone wall and was throwing a volley of punches so strong they kept denting the wall until it looked like the wall would be destroyed. "Alright! That's enough, Apachai!" The Elder shouted, losing his patience.
"Is he always like this?" Kenichi asked, feeling nervous.
"We don't get many visitors, so having guests probably put him in a good mood." The Elder explained as he continued showing them around.
"No visitors, exactly… What kind of place is this?" Kenichi thought, now starting to sweat. "I am determined, but it'll all be in vain if I die on the first day."
"While that was impressive, I get this strange feeling that was just the start of things." Shirou thought, turning to Kenichi and becoming annoyed. "And that look probably means he's already lost his nerve."
As they were walking, they happened to pass by a room with an open sliding door, and they could barely see through it. Kenichi's curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to peek through the door. Shirou looked over his shoulder. Inside was a fairly normal-looking room that didn't have much in it except for several different Swords placed around like they were on display. But what got their attention was the woman in the center.
She is a fairly tall and beautiful young woman with a slender frame yet remarkably curvaceous figure and well-endowed breasts. She has long waist-length raven hair, usually tied back in a high ponytail, peach skin, and light purple eyes. She wears a purple choker around her neck that contains numerous small pins. She is dressed in a small pink kimono and long purple stockings; underneath, she wears bandages over her chest and a fundoshi. Shirou also noticed that she had a tsuba-less nodachi strapped to her back with a makeshift grip of bandages wrapped around the hilt.
While Kenichi gushed at the sight of her. "Haaa, Miu is definitely cute, but this girl is HOT. Maybe she could give me some private lessons~."
Shirou just looked at him, unimpressed. "Why do you only ever act like a man in the most useless ways?"
However, her next move silenced them both. As if by some unknown signal, she stood up, drew her Sword from its sheath, and slashed out with a blinding speed that made her blade resemble a transparent blur. Just as fast as she started, she stopped, and like magic, all the other Swords around her shattered. All the while, her eyes looked so sharp and focused that it was almost like she could cut someone with her gaze alone.
Like before, Kenichi was scared stiff, while Shirou looked at her with a newfound interest.
"Not only could I not see her Sword, but I also couldn't even follow the moves of the hand holding the Sword." Shirou thought, analyzing her like Apachai. "She even aimed her attack specifically at those Swords and controlled her power enough to only shatter them without unnecessary damage to her surroundings and to top it all off. She barely looked like she was trying, so there's no telling how good she really is."
"Show yourself… What business do you have with me…? Speak." The woman spoke in a stoic, almost emotionless tone.
"N-Nothing, I was just—" Kenichi frantically tried to defend himself.
However, she didn't even notice him and turned her attention to the floor. "Kensei Ma… I know exactly where you're hiding… And so does my Sword."
With those words, she stabbed her Sword into the floor between two tatami mats. And then, seeming from out of nowhere, a person burst out from the mats and landed behind the woman.
The man, apparently named Kensei, can be described as a fairly short middle-aged man, around five feet one, or maybe two if he stood up straight. He is fair-skinned with a long, pointed-out Chinese mustache. He wears typical Chinese clothing used in Martial Arts, which consists of a long green shirt lined with gold. With a black hat, pants, and slip shoes along with white socks. Spiky brown hair sticks out from his hat. One thing worth mentioning was that he was holding a camera.
"Relax~ Shigure. I was just passing through, making sure everything is still on the up and up, down below, looking good." He explained in a fast and upbeat manner.
"That doesn't explain the camera your holding…." The woman known as Shigure reminded him, still gripping her weapon. "What were you taking pictures of down there…?"
Now, Kensei seemed nervous. "Uh… What do you mean?" He then made a run for it.
Shigure didn't let him go and threw some shuriken at Kensei. Though through amazing speed, skill, and finesse, Kensei easily dodged them and caught them. Two with his hands and the third with his mouth. A fourth one flew past him and was on a direct course for Kenichi. Luckily, he was saved by the Elder, who caught the Shuriken right before it hit.
Kenichi, now realizing he was almost hit, shrieked and fell down while Kensei dashed past them and ran off.
"I wouldn't recommend snooping around here, young man." The Elder advised him.
Shirou was now thinking about Kensei. "That guy, he looked like some middle-aged man. But that speed, he was so fast it looked like he had just vanished. And the finesse of his moves was as slick as a Cobra-snake. No doubt, he probably has enough skill to end the fight before the other guy even knows what attack hit him."
—
The Elder had finally stopped after leading Shirou and Kenichi in front of a door to another room and turned back to face the two of them.
"Now then, I'm about to introduce you to the Karate teacher you've been looking for." He informed Kenichi. "But I have to warn you. He can be difficult."
"Um, okay." Kenichi replied timidly.
"Hey Sakaki, I need a favor." The Elder called out after opening the door.
Inside, the room was similar to the room Shigure was in in the fact that there was hardly anything in it. Expect two large tatami mats that had two ropes attached tops that were tied to the ceiling, with drawings of a human outline on both of them. Standing in between them was the Karate teacher, the Elder called Sakaki.
Sakaki is a tall man who is clearly over six feet tall and has a largely-muscled build, maybe as equally muscular as Apachai. He also has tan skin and short eggplant-colored hair with a longer strand hanging over his face. He has had a long, jagged scar that runs horizontally across the bridge of his nose. He is seen shirtless while wearing a brown leather jacket and blue jeans with bandages wrapped around his forearms. Everything about him gives off the aura of someone intimidating.
After hearing the Elder's request, Sakaki responded, frowning as if he was preparing for a fight.
"Uh uh, no way, I don't take Disciples. How many times we gotta go over this, Gramps?" Sakaki answered as if it wasn't even up for debate.
The Elder grinned back at the two of them, amused while stroking his mustache. "Told ya."
"He doesn't sound like a teacher." Kenichi thought, intimidated.
Shirou just looked at Sakaki as if he was trying to analyze him.
Sasaki then started to chug a bottle of alcohol and then smirked. "It's a bad idea, old man. Let's suppose I did let him become my pupil…." As if to make a point, Sakaki used his grip to shatter the bottle he was holding, then turned his attention to the training mats in front of him and let loose a barrage of fast punches that hit within the human-shaped outlines, knocking holes in them everywhere. Sakaki then turned back at them and said. "He'd be dead in three days' time."
"You don't say. Well, that's just too bad." Kenichi rubbed the back of his head while smiling, feeling just about ready to give up. "The man obviously doesn't want to take on a Disciple; oh well."
"Those punches weren't just fast but packed serious power too, and both the aim and accuracy of his attacks were not only perfectly on point, but they all hit a vital spot on the human body." Shirou thought, realizing how skilled Sakaki was. "His level is way beyond Black belt; no, it's beyond anything ordinary Karate can reach."
Kenichi then tried to leave. "Thanks anyway. I'll be going now."
Before he could take a step, though, Shirou grabbed him by the back of his collar and held him in place—Much to Kenichi's dismay.
"I'd admit it. You are incredibly strong." Shirou approached him, still confident. Refusing to let himself be intimidated. "But don't get it twisted, you're not so strong that any training you throw at me could kill me, and three days?" He scoffed, now right in front of Sakaki. "You couldn't kill me in three years."
Sakaki just stared down at him, looking a bit more interested now compared to before. "Ah, looks like you got guts, punk. Maybe I wouldn't mind training you, only to test that little theory of yours."
They both smirked at each other like two brawlers trying to pick a fight. Kenichi, however, looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
"Gah, please don't pick a fight here. We, or more accurately, I, won't survive." Kenichi pleaded with fear. "Now, can we just go?!"
Kenichi tried dragging him away by the arm, but suddenly, another door opened, and someone new walked into the room.
This person is a man of above-average height, maybe around Shirou's height. He has messy black hair and slightly tanned skin. He is wearing a white hakama that hangs loosely on a lean frame. Despite his relatively small physique, he has a developed build and well-defined muscles. He also has a small and well-groomed mustache. A unique trait in his appearance is the dull and nearly colorless pupils of his eyes that almost made it seem like he was blind.
When Shirou saw him, he knew right away that he was completely different from the rest. "From the way he looks, you'd think he's the only normal one. But the feeling I get from him is nothing like all the others. He hasn't done anything big or impressive, yet just standing and looking at him makes me feel on edge. There's no doubt that he's strong, but he doesn't feel like a human or a person with the instincts of a wild beast. It's like I'm facing down a mountain or something."
Shirou realized that if this man could make him feel this way by just standing before him, then he was clearly a force of nature of the same caliber as the other fighters he had seen here. And that made him even more interested. Kenichi however…
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Kenichi screamed at the sight of him and then fainted, falling to the floor.
Shirou groaned. "He might be my friend, but why's he gotta be such a pussy?"
Sakaki, the man who had just arrived, and the Elder gathered around the fallen Kenichi.
"This kid seems kinda high-strung." Sakaki noted.
"He's certainly energetic." The other man noted.
"By the way, who are you?" Shirou asked him.
"Oh, forgive me. I am the Judo teacher of this dojo, Akisame Koetsuji." The now-named Akisame introduced himself.
"So then, punk, since you know our names, why not introduce yourself?" Sakaki advised him.
"I'm Shirou Tsukiharu." He introduced himself, not changing his mood. Then he pointed to his fallen friend. "Oh yeah, and that's Kenichi."
—
A short while later, Kenichi was moved to a different room, and sitting beside him was Miu, only she looked different compared to earlier or at school.
Here, Miu had discarded her glasses and let her hair, including her bangs, flow freely. She is currently in a purple-spandex outfit that greatly shows off her curves, and onto that, she had on a pink T-shirt with a single paw print design on it. It is also clear to see that in this current attire, she wasn't wearing any underwear.
"Kenichi… Kenichi." Miu called out, worried about him.
Waking up to the sound of her voice, Kenichi sat up. "Miu?"
"You fainted. Are you feeling alright?" Miu asked, still concerned.
Kenichi looked around, alert, still worried. "W-We should get out of here. This place is really dangerous!"
Miu just had an apologetic smile. "Actually, this place… This is my home."
Kenichi gasped at this new information, looking ready to faint again. Without him even noticing, the Elder had appeared right behind Miu.
"And this is my Grandfather." Miu pointed to the Elder.
"AAAAAHHH—" Before Kenichi could finish screaming, he was hit by a hard and painful chop to the head.
The one responsible was Shirou, who had appeared behind him. "Would it kill you to go five minutes without screaming your lungs out?"
—
Now that everyone had gathered in the same room, the Elder began to introduce them.
Sakaki Shio — 100th level Karate Fighter.
Apachai Hopachai — The Muay Thai God of Death.
Kensei Ma — Master of all Chinese Kenpo.
Akisame Koetsuji — The philosophical Judo Master.
Shigure Kosaka — The Prodigy of Swords and Weapons.
The Elder then pointed to himself. "And me Hayato Furinji."
Shirou raised a brow. "T-That's it?"
"What do you mean?" The Elder asked cheerfully.
"You gave everyone else some grand introduction with some flashy title, yet you barely said a thing about yourself?" Shirou told him, finding it strange.
"Hahaha! Oh, that's just because I'm nothing special." The Elder brushed off with a laugh. "Never you mind."
"And we all know that's not true." Shirou thought, rolling his eyes.
"Anyways, that is how it is." The Elder continued. "This is a dojo that helps people cultivate their skills in order to reach their goals of mastering the Martial Arts. We don't consider ourselves the best dojo around…." While he talked, both he and all the other adults were staring them down as if their eyes were glowing. "But we welcome you both to Ryozanpaku."
Kenichi was sitting there on his knees, sweating and trembling. "I wanna go home!"
Shirou was sitting comfortably, staring back at them without feeling the pressure. "I'm so glad I came here."
Miu let out a small sigh and got up. "Well then, I'll run down to the kitchen to make everybody some tea." She said while leaving.
Kenichi became even more afraid the moment Miu was gone, while Shirou either didn't notice or didn't care. The Masters were staring down at them while surrounded by strange, almost visible auras.
"Is it just me, or did Miu just dump this kid on us and take off." Sakaki noted, referring to Kenichi.
"Ah Miu, she's like a child who wants to help a butterfly escape from a spider web, but when things get a little sticky, she shows her age by running away." The Elder added, amused.
"That was a superb analogy." Kensei commented with a laugh.
"So what do you think we should do with this, baby butterfly?" Akisame asked.
"What about the… Other one?" Shigure asked, pointing to Shirou. "He seems… Different. Not like of a… butterfly…."
"Apa is true. He doesn't seem scared at all." Apachai agreed.
"Hmph, scared?" Shirou scoffed, standing up. "You've been rambling on by yourselves for a while, acting like I'm not here. And everything you say is just a bunch of bullcrap." He then smirked while glaring at them. "If you honestly think you can scare me with some stupid glares, then you must take me for some third-string weakling or think too big of yourselves."
Though he was standing tall and proud, Kenichi, unfortunately, couldn't say the same and stood while still shaking and hiding behind Shirou with his hands gripping Shirou's shoulders.
Now, some of them became a little intrigued by Shirou's boldness, and Kensei asked. "Hmm, fascinating. I must say I wasn't expecting that." He then turned to Sakaki. "So what do we make of that?"
"There's nothing to say." Sakaki shrugged. "All I see is a wolf-cub trying to roar, with a scared chiwawa dog cowering behind its leg."
Apa heard that analogy and pictured it in his mind. In his mind was a small wolf with Shirou's head bearing its fangs while a little chiwawa with Kenichi's head kept shaking and was heading behind the wolf. And in real life, he sees the two humans are in the same position.
"Your thoughts?" Akisame turned to the Elder.
"Well, now, I think we should let the wolf and dog speak for themselves." The Elder suggested approaching them. "Are you certain you're ready to receive our teachings?"
Shirou didn't hesitate to answer. "You bet your beard I am."
The Elder nodded, accepting his answer, then turned to Kenichi. "And you?"
Kenichi then stopped shaking and looked surprised. Shirou also moved away so Kenichi couldn't hide behind him, and so he could talk.
The Elder continued. "It's a simple question, Kenichi, but I'll ask it again which you devote yourself to our training and join Ryozanpaku?"
Kenichi hesitated for a moment, then had a look of determination in his eyes and nodded.
"Yes, I want to be stronger." He said, free of doubt.
The Elder smiled at his answer. Since both of them had made their decision, Kensei appeared in front of them and brought out a small table, placed a long scroll with an ink brush on the table, and placed it in front of them.
"Excellent, just sign your names on this contract." Kensei instructed them.
Kenichi smiled and picked up the brush. "Sure."
But before he could sign it, Shirou stopped him and took the brush.
"Hold on, don't just sign a contract without reading it." Shirou warned him, then turned to Kensei. "What's the price?"
"40,000 Yen a month." Kensei answered, holding up two fingers. "20,000 from each of you."
"That's too much!" Kenichi cried out.
Shirou glared at Kensei and demanded. "Make it 1,000 Yen each."
"That's too little!" Kenichi cried out.
"…10,000, take it or leave it." Kensei offered, a little nervous.
Shirou scowled and narrowed his eyes. "3,000 or we walk."
.
.
.
Soon, Miu walked back in, holding a tray of teacups. "I've got your tea! Here you go." She placed three teacups on the table for Shirou, Kenichi, and Kensei.
"Oh, thank you." Kenichi said gratefully.
"Thank you." Kensei also said before turning back to Shirou.
Shirou just kept his focus on the contract.
"5,000 Yen, that's my final offer." Kensei offered, sounding desperate.
"4,000 Yen, I won't go any higher." Shirou threatened, not willing to discuss it.
"What is with these two?" Kenichi thought, with a little sweat. "The price is less than one-fifth of the original; it's like they're acting out a crime deal or something."
"That's enough, Kensei." Akisame advised him. "It's vulgar to beg."
"Now, now, Akisame, it's all right." The Elder defended while Kenichi was taking out his wallet. "The truth of the matter is our dojo is experiencing financial difficulty,"
Kenichi took out 4,000 Yen from his wallet. "You've got money problems?"
"I'll take that." Kensei took the money while Shirou was signing the contract.
Shirou then angrily took out his own money. "Here's 4,000 Yen and not a cent more."
Kensei happily took it as well. "Ah, thank you."
Shirou then grumbled angrily. "4,000 Yen a month. That's a goddamn steal."
"Well, uh, we've managed, thanks to Miu's clever bookkeeping." The Elder explained while stroking his beard.
Kenichi gasped, surprised. "She's only in High School, and she's in charge of keeping your books?"
"Yes, and the laundry, and the cooking, and the cleaning, and everything else." Kensei explained, putting the scroll in his sleeve. "Indeed, without our Miu, we'd be a pretty pathetic bunch of Martial Arts Masters."
"You know self-sufficiency is also an important skill a Martial Artist should work to master." Shirou told them, unimpressed.
"Haha." The Elder chuckled while Miu gave him his tea. "True, but unfortunately, that's something we've just never fully grasped in our training."
While they were talking, Kenichi was daydreaming, having his own delusions about what Kensei had told him, and was clearly thinking too hard about it, letting his imagination run wild. Shirou noticed the expression he was making and gave him a chop to the head, which woke him up.
"Ouch, why'd you hit me?!" Kenichi asked, upset while rubbing his head.
"You were just imagining something stupid, weren't you?" Shirou asked, although he already knew the answer.
Kenichi blinked, then just looked away sheepishly. After that, Miu came up to the two of them.
"So tell me, what kind of techniques are you guys hoping to learn?" Miu asked, curious.
"Well, I've always really liked Karate." Kenichi said, with a hand on his chin. "It would be awesome if we could start that."
The Elder looked to Sakaki to hear his answer.
"I TOLD YOU I DO NOT TAKE ON DISCIPLES!" Sakaki roared, which terrified Kenichi, so much so that he fell over.
"You don't have to yell. We're right here." Shirou told him, annoyed.
"Actually… I think it would be… best if you taught him… Akisame." Shigure suggested.
"Oh yeah, do you think so?" Akisame pondered.
"Yes, she's right." The Elder agreed with the idea. "You have experience teaching our disciplines, Akisame. You will make a fine instructor." He said before drinking his tea. "Besides, anyone else and the boy will be dead in a week."
After saying that, it looked almost as if the other Masters' eyes glowed red for a bit, which made Kenichi flinch and start sweating. "M-Miu, h-help." He pleaded while trembling, and his teeth were chirping.
"Don't worry, Akisame is a very good teacher, and he's a really nice man." Miu reassured him.
"Really, are you sure about that?" Kenichi asked, still afraid and shaking.
"For the most part." Miu answered, which didn't seem to help.
A tick mart appeared on Shirou's head as he became fed up. "Would you stop bitching already?"
That made Kenichi stop and look at Shirou. "Huh?"
Shirou narrowed his eyes at him. "You're the one who came here despite the fact that you were told the training could kill you, yet every time someone so much as looks at you funny, you become as spineless as a worm. If you're really so sacred, then just shut up and go home already. Martial Arts aren't something you can learn without some pain, and if you really want to learn it, then suck it up and quit whining."
Kenichi heard his words and looked down, feeling a bit upset. Then he clenched his fists and looked up, looking less afraid. "I know that, and I won't run away from this. I came here prepared to learn Martial Arts, and I will."
Miu was at first surprised by his sudden change in demeanor but then smiled. "Shirou's words may seem rough, but he really helped Kenichi just now."
The Elder noticed it as well. "The boy seems to hold his friend in very high regard. That's why his words carry so much weight to him. And the other one, he's telling him to right words to see if he's made for this or not, helping him train his resolve." He smiled, amused. "They make an interesting pair, these two."
Now that Kenichi was calm, Akisame walked up to him.
"So this will be your beginning in the training of Martial Arts?" Akisame asked.
"A-ah, yes." Kenichi answered with haste. "A guy at the Karate club wants to fight me. I think he wants to kill me."
"Kill him?" Miu thought, surprised.
"I see. You've got a bully after you." Akisame confirmed before smiling. "I can relate, believe it or not. I have pushed around, bullied, and beaten up when I was a boy." He consoled him, earning a surprised look from Kenichi and an interested look from Miu and Shirou. "Well, Jiu-jitsu is the perfect disciple for protecting yourself. And don't worry, contrary to popular belief. I'm not a strict teacher."
Kenichi smiled, relieved. "Perfect."
Shirou looked at him suspiciously. "He's lying; I can tell by that stupid grin on his face."
"And you?" The Elder addressed Shirou. "Which of the Masters would you like to train under?"
"Which one?" Shirou asked, thinking it over.
Miu approached him. "If you have trouble deciding, you could just train with Akisame for now." She suggested. "Or Kensei; he has experience training others."
"It's true." Kensei confirmed with a grin.
"Apa! Or you could train with Apachai." Apachai suggested, excited at the idea.
Sakaki put his hand on Apachai's shoulder. "Easy there, big guy. You don't want to kill the punk, do ya?"
Shirou looked at all of them carefully, as if he was studying them, thinking back on all the displays of skill, power, prowess, and capabilities they all demonstrated, and used that as the basis for choosing which one he wanted to learn from.
After a few minutes, he smirked and pointed forward. "I pick you."
To the shock and disbelief of everyone present, even the Masters themselves, the person Shirou was pointing towards was, The Elder, Hayato Furinji. The Elder, however, was just stroking his beard, unfazed.
"Me? Well, that's a new one." He spoke with mild surprise and interest.
"You're either incredibly brave or unbelievably foolish." Akisame told him grimly.
"Or his mind can't comprehend the overwhelming forces of nature in front of him." Kensei suggested another possibility.
"Ah, that could also be it." Akisame agreed like he hadn't thought of that.
"Look, punk, if you really want to die, there are less painful ways." Sakaki joined in, trying to talk him out of it.
"…Like standing… In front of… Traffic…" Shigure gave an example.
Kenichi seemed confused by all their reactions.
"Hey, Miu." Kenichi whispered to her. "Why are they acting like something crazy just happened?"
Miu looked at him, worried. "It's because of my Grandfather. Unlike the other Masters, he's a Grand Master and the Strongest Martial Artist of Ryozanpaku." She explained. "The truth is even if each Master believes they're stronger than the other. They'll all admit Grandpa is still the Strongest. They couldn't beat him even if they all fought him together."
Kenichi gasped, almost not wanting to believe it. "Huh?! Seriously?"
Miu nodded, confirming it. "And because of that, his training is much more intense than any of the others. He trained me when I was a girl, but that was only the basics, and he was taking it easy because of my age." She said grimly. "If he were to actually seriously train someone, I'm not sure if it's even safe to consider."
Now Kenichi looked terrified. "S-Shirou, please reconsider." He pleaded with his friend, fearing for his life.
Shirou didn't change his expression and just replied. "I haven't heard your answer." He addressed the Elder. "Yes or no?"
The Elder stood up and walked up to him.
"Before I answer, I'd like to ask you something." He stopped in front of Shirou. "Why is it that you want my training? What motivates you?"
"I want to get stronger." Shirou answered like it was obvious.
"From what my Granddaughter has told me, you are already quite strong." The Elder pointed out. "You're far stronger than most your age, and you have great potential; you've already been acknowledged by your peers as one of the Strongest fighters in this town as well."
"Hmph, one of the Strongest?" Shirou scoffed. "Something like that is meaningless to me." He looked at the Elder with determination. "What I want is to undeniably be nothing less the Strongest, that there'll be no doubt that I'm number 1 and that there will be no question that none can stand on the same level as me."
"And why is it that you desire such power?" The Elder questioned, looking him in the eye. "Your answer will be decided what my answer will be on your training."
The Elder looked at him as if he was testing him, that this was a trial he had to pass, and he was now faced with a riddle, and he had to figure out the correct answer. It wasn't just the Elder, though. All the Masters were watching him with the same expression, wanting to see how this would play out. Shirou sighed and spoke nonetheless.
"It's so I can fulfill a promise." Shirou told him.
"A promise, you say?" The Elder repeated, now interested. "With whom?"
"It was with a friend I had back when I was a kid." Shirou started. "I won't go into details, but back then, we had a fight that was no different from any ordinary kids-fight on a playground, but when it was over, we made a promise; we'd both get stronger, a lot stronger, and one day when we got older and met again we'd have a real fight." He then made a fist. "And I've been getting stronger every day since then to fulfill that promise."
"And how are you sure this friend of yours even remembers this promise?" The Elder asked. The look on his face was like that of a judge trying to decide if a person was guilty or not.
"He does remember." Shirou stated, absolutely sure of that fact. "He's not like some ordinary kid who would just forget something like that. I know for a fact that he hasn't forgotten that day. That's why I came here, to be strong enough to win when we fight."
The Elder didn't change his expression. "How do you know you already aren't already strong enough as you are now?"
Shirou just smirked. "If he's really the person I know he is, then my current self isn't enough. These past few years, I've been training as hard as I could because I've always pictured him training just as hard. Even now, I can picture it. Clearly, he's probably training so hard he can barely breathe. And knowing that has always motivated me to push myself harder." He then opened his fist and looked at his palm. "That's why I'll train under whoever I need to in order to become the Strongest I can be. If I show up as any less than that." He then smiled. "He'd laugh at me."
After hearing that, the Elder simply smiled. "I understand."
Some of the Masters were smiling as well. The atmosphere of the room had now changed. If before it felt like the Elder was testing him, then it now felt like Shirou had passed his test. The only one who couldn't read the room was Kenichi.
"Whoa, that's weird." Kenichi said, surprised by his answer. "I never knew you had something like that. Who'd you make the promise with? Do I know him?"
"What? Are you serious right now?" Shirou asked him incredulously. "You're telling me you don't remember? You were there too."
"I was?" Kenichi scratched his head, completely lost.
Shirou face-palmed. "I should've known you'd forget. You are like some ordinary kid."
"Well, excuse me for being ordinary!" Kenichi shouted, insulted.
"Very well then." The Elder stood in front of him. "I've heard your honest intentions and have made my decision on what training you shall receive."
"So what's the final say, old man?" Shirou asked with anticipation.
"I have decided that… I will train you." The Elder answered after a dramatic pause. This answer still surprised some of the others. But he smiled, showing he wasn't done. "Provided you fulfill a certain requirement."
Shirou raised a brow. "And what requirement is that?"
The Elder pointed to those behind him. "You must undergo training from each and every Master of Ryozanpaku and become a Martial Artist that is completely adaptable and can freely wield each of their styles. If you can overcome their training, then you'll have earned the right to become my Disciple."
"Train with all of them." Kenichi repeated, agasped. "Can anyone actually accomplish that?"
"I don't know, I've never seen them train with a Disciple, but still, that's a really tall order Grandpa's giving him." Miu said, worried. "All their training is already high leveled by themselves. To have them all share the same Disciple could be pretty rough."
"Hmph, so in the end, the old man is shifting things to us." Sakaki grunted.
"Maybe, but let's wait and see how things work out for the time being." Akisame advised.
"Earn the right?" Shirou repeated before smirking. "You acting a bit full of yourself, aren't you, looking down on me like that?" He then stood up, confident. "Fine, I'll earn your right and clean sweep all their training. So which one's first?"
"That's for you to decided." Akisame told him. "As always, it's up to the Disciple to choose who he wants to train with. Pick whichever order you like.
"Okay then, I pick…." Shirou looked over his options for a second before he made his decision. "…You."
This time, once again, to the surprise of many of those present, he was pointing to none other than, Apachai.
"APA!" Apachai threw his arms up in the air, very excited and happy about being chosen. He even grabbed Shigure's hand and jumped up with joy. "Apachai gets to have a Disciple! Apapapapa!"
"Yay." Shigure added, stoic as usual.
"What is wrong with him?!" Kenichi cried out in his head while comical tears streamed down his eyes.
"Hahaha! Excellent choice." The Elder energetically laughed out, amused.
"First The Elder and now Apachai." Sakaki brought up. "Is he out of his mind or something?"
"Not exactly. I think he's perfectly aware of what he's getting into." Akisame argued. "From what I can see about him, he isn't so unaware that he can't see just how strong a Master-Class fighter is." He deduced. "And on his way in, he saw each of us show a unique demonstration of our abilities, and from that, he gathered that Apachai has the most destructive power among all of us. That's why he chose him. He wants to face the full force of our training so that he can stand his ground no matter what is thrown at him."
"So basically he training to say 'Hit me with your best shot, you don't scare me', huh?" Sakaki figured with a grin. "Spoken like a punk."
"But… He didn't technically… Speak." Shigure reminded him.
"It's a figure of speech!" Sakaki barked.
"Well then, I suppose we should begin." Akisame decided. "Come, Kenichi, let's get started on our training."
"Wait, but…" Kenichi spoke with a nervous demeanor. "What about Shirou?"
"Kenichi. I understand you're concerned for your friend, but you need to focus your attention on your own training as of this moment." Akisame told him, sternly. "Remember, you only have little time before you face your bully, and he won't hold back regardless of whether you're prepared or not."
"Ah, you're right." Kenichi realized, now more focused. "Let's start right away!"
Akisame smiled gently. "Of course, and like I said before, I am not a strict teacher."
Kenichi nodded, and they departed from the room.
"Now then, why don't you two begin as well?" The Elder suggested.
"Apa, we go outside." Apachai decided, and so he and Shirou departed from the room as well.
—
Once outside, they stood at the clearing outside the door while Miu and the rest of the Masters were by the porch, planning to observe. They all watched with interest to see how he would handle Apachai's training, while Miu watched with concern on whether or not Shirou would be too gravely injured.
Shirou and Apachai stood face to face a few feet from each other, wearing boxing gloves.
Shirou looked prepared until he saw Apachai's expression. He had a look of eagerness and excitement like he couldn't wait to get started.
Shirou turned to the others, a bit confused. "Is he always like this?"
"He's just excited." Kensei informed him. "This is the first time he's had a Disciple to train, so he's feeling eager."
"Haven't seen him this excited since the last time we had hamburgers." Sakaki added, leaning by a wooden support pillar.
"Now then, are you sure you don't want to change into a more suitable outfit for training?" The Elder asked him. "It'll make it easier to learn and move around."
"Hmph, I'm fine this way." Shirou declined his offer. "When you fight on the street, the other guys won't just let you change into something more comfortable. So I'll train like this so I can fight at any time in any gear."
"My, what an interesting philosophy." The Elder said, a little intrigued while stroking his beard.
"The punk's right, though." Sakaki added. "Having the luxury of being able to wear the right gear is something only a sportsman Martial Artist would be used to. In a real fight, you gotta be ready to fight at any time."
"Well, Shirou is pretty used to street-fighting already, so it shouldn't be too bad." Miu added.
Back to the training, Shirou raised his stance while the tanned giant looked relaxed.
"Apa, we begin. Apachai is going to start with a right punch." Apachai informed him. "Shirou must block."
"Go ahead." Shirou raised his arms above his face and used them to form a cross.
"A cross-arm block." Miu noticed. "It's a stance that stresses pure defense against a frontal attack. Good, he's taking Apachai seriously."
Ready to begin, Apachai's eyes started to glow like before, and his arm lashed out like a transparent blur that couldn't be seen by an ordinary man. Before a second had passed, it reached Shirou and blew away his guard like a kickball hitting a sandcastle.
"APA!"
CRASH!
The force behind Apachai's punch was like that of an iron wrecking ball, which Shirou found out firsthand as the hit knocked him off the ground and blew him away, crashing hard into the stone wall behind him. The force behind the crash was strong enough to even create a few cracks in the wall, and Shirou hit the ground in a thud—Seeing that, Miu let out a shriek of fear and ran to him to see if he was alive.
While the Masters just looked, intrigued.
"You… saw that… right?" Shigure asked the rest of them.
Kensei nodded. "To the untrained eye, it just looked like Apachai tore down his guard and sent him flying, but it was more than that." He dissected. "Just before the point of impact, he back-stepped to soften the blow, and what's more amazing is that he could actually see the punch coming. Even though he's only training, Apachai's punches are incredibly swift. For him to be able to follow their movement is a feat I didn't think someone his age was capable of."
"Not just that, it was his stance too." Sakaki added. "While his upper body was tightened for defense, his lower body was more relaxed. He braced for impact and kept his legs light and nimble so he could roll with the punch instead of being crushed by it." He explained, almost impressed. "Apachai's punches are crazy strong; most people would freeze up if they saw it coming towards them, yet he took it without a flinch. Guess he's not just some punk."
"He has strong… Nerves." Shigure added.
Miu ran up to Shirou's body and kneeled next to him."Shirou, are you still alive?" She asked, worried, before turning to Apachai. "Apachai, this was training. You're supposed to hold back?" She scolded.
"Hold back?" Apachai repeated, confused as if he didn't understand.
"He did hold back." Shirou corrected, sitting up and looking hardly damaged. "I saw him when I first arrived. If he had been fighting for real, my arms would have been broken. Though honestly, that punch still packed a wallop."
"You're awake?" Miu gasped, amazed that he took a hit from Apachai and didn't get knocked out. "I can't believe you withstood that."
"Don't joke around. You actually thought I'd drop dead after one hit?" Shirou asked, standing up and looking pumped up. "Who the Hell do you think I am?!"
"Apa, let's go again." Apachai instructed him. "Apachai will use exact same punch."
"Bring it on, big guy." Shirou responded, ready to go again.
"Wait, it's dangerous to take so many of Apachai's punches head-on." Miu warned him.
"Just sit back and watch, babe." Shirou brushed it off. "I'll show you something amazing."
Miu normally would be more concerned but was curious as to what he had planned, and so remained silent. Also, she blushed from being called "babe".
Once again, Shirou took the same cross-arm block, ready to begin Apachai's eyes began to glow again, and his arm lashed out like a transparent blur that couldn't be seen by an ordinary man. Like before, Apachai, just as he said he would, threw a straight right that was aiming for Shirou's head.
SWISH!
However, to the shock and disbelief of everyone watching (Not including Apachai and the Elder), Shirou waived his head to the side and slipped past Apachai's blow. Not only had Shirou avoided the hit, but he also quick-stepped forward to dive in and get past Apachai's defense.
"APA!"
POW!
Just as he got in close range, Shirou saw Apachai's left gloved fist flash out and deck him in the side. Like before, Shirou could scarcely see the hit coming but knew he couldn't dodge in time, and like before, he loosed his footing to roll with the punch. This time, Shirou was knocked away to the side, and like a rock skipping across the water, he bounced off the ground three times before coming to a stop.
"He dodged that first punch?" Miu was in awe at what she had just witnessed. "That's amazing."
"He's full of surprises." The Elder commented. "He saw that Apachai truly was using the same attack as the first, and so after seeing it the first time, he immediately thought up a counter and moved his body fast enough to do so."
"But despite that, he wasn't able to anticipate the second strike and was once again knocked away." Kensei added. "Meaning, while his eyes and mind are able to remain vigilant under pressure, his body can't keep up."
"Still, you gotta admit the punk's good." Sakaki pointed out. "He just needed to see that punch once to be able to get past it. Not just anybody can dodge one of Apachai's punches, especially a kid. Give credit where it's due."
"I never said it wasn't impressive." Kensei clarified. "Don't put words in my mouth."
Shirou got up again, a little dazed but still capable of going on. "The second punch came at a perfect angle and timing. It's like he knew that I would dive in like that." He whispered.
"We go again. Apachai will do same thing as before." Apachai instructed him.
Shirou's eyes widened slightly in realization before he narrowed them and got in his stance. "I see. Now I get it."
"Has he finally realized the purpose of this training?" The Elder thought, watching him.
Once Shirou was in position, Apachai once more charged in and threw a straight right that was aiming for Shirou's head. And like before, Shirou waived his head to the side and slipped past Apachai's punch. Followed by his quick step forward to dive in and get past Apachai's defense. Like before, Apachai threw his left hook aiming to counter him again, but this time Shirou was prepared.
SWISH!
This time, instead of getting hit by the hook, Shirou avoided it by ducking his body into a squat position. Afterward, he quickly raised himself up back, planning to use the momentum to throw a powerful uppercut.
"APA!"
POW!
Unsurprising, Shirou was countered yet again. This time, Apachai used his left leg to knee him in the stomach as he was coming up. The force behind this hit knocked the air out of his lungs and sent him flying upwards in the air like a rag doll. He hit the ground a few feet away, dazed and coughing.
"He did it again." Miu thought, not believing her eyes. "How is he doing that?"
"I was right. This training is like one of those color pattern games. Between his arms and legs, he has four options on what to use in a specific pattern, and every time I figure out the pattern, a next one is created that is the exact same one as before while adding an extra one at the end." Shirou deduced. "But unlike the game where the patterns keep coming without end, this will end either when I don't have the strength to go on or when I finally land a hit. Whichever comes first."
"Every time he fails, he immediately sees what the problem is and fixes it. Meaning he's learning as he fights." The Elder thought, observing him. "Apachai is using this exercise to continuously sharpen his perceptions and instincts step by step, increasing the difficulty little by little. He's testing the boy to see just how far he can go,"
Shirou pulled himself up from the ground, looking a little shaky, and moved back into position to continue.
"Is Shirou okay to continue?" Apachai asked, seeing his condition.
"Heh, don't think that's all it takes to keep me down." Shirou responded with a smirk. "I can take a hell of a lot more than you can dish out."
Apachai nodded, and Shirou got into his stance to begin again. And so they continued this cycle for quite a bit more.
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
"APA!"
POW!
After going on for so long, Shirou was now a battered, beaten mess. His face was bruised, there was a trickle of blood leaking from his forehead, his arms and body had scrapes and bruises, and his breathing was heavy. Yet he was still standing.
"How many hits was that?" Sakaki asked, not having counted.
"29 hits he's dodged." Kensei informed him. "This next time will be the 30th time they've gone over this."
"Will he… Survive another… Hit?" Shigure questioned.
"Don't be concerned. He's tenacious and tough as they come." The Elder assured her before joking. "And even if he does drop dead, it'll be an amazing feat to take to his grave that he lasted against 30 of Apachai's hits."
Apachai charged in and threw a straight right, which Shirou dodged by waiving to the side and diving in through Apachai's guard. Apachai then threw a left hook to counter him, but Shirou ducked down to avoid the hook and then came up for an uppercut. Apachai saw this and brought up his knee to hit his stomach, but Shirou back-stepped to dodge the knee. Shirou then threw an overhead aimed at Apachai's head, but Apachai took advantage of his superior reach and used a high kick aimed at Shirou's head. Shirou, having anticipated this, bobbed his head around the kick and pivoted his leg to slide over to Apachai's unguarded right to kick him in the liver, but Apachai saw this and used a quick-shift to change his stance and used his leg to deflect Shirou's attack.
"Well, now, looks like he's finally getting the hang of it." The Elder noticed. "His evasiveness has certainly improved, and he's become more adept at thinking several steps ahead with every blow."
"This whole exchange is a situation of 'hit without being hit'." Kensei added. "Because of the difference in power, he can't even afford to block, so all he can do is constantly dodge until he sees a chance to strike. And a careless or halfhearted move will end in failure, so he can only bide his time and wait for an opportunity to show itself."
"Not just that, if the hit is going to come at the exact same spot, even an amateur could dodge it, but Apachai is mixing in faints here and there to try and throw him off. He's conditioning the punk to be able to see through an enemy's tricks and only move when he needs to." Sakaki chimed in. "Apachai wants the punk to be able to go into a fight while being able to avoid taking a hit as much as possible 'cause that a fundamental mindset to have in Muay Thai."
Among everyone watching, Miu was the only one who didn't understand what was going on. As she stared, watching the two exchange blows and Shirou keeping up with Apachai, all she could do was try to comprehend what was happening.
"I don't understand it. When they started, he couldn't even follow Apachai's movements, and yet now he's keeping up with him perfectly." Miu thought, not getting it. "How did he improve so much over the course of this exchange?"
As the exchange of blows and Technique continued, Shirou kept avoiding Apachai's attacks while counting his progress in his head.
Apachai aimed a low kick at Shirou's right kneecap, which Shirou dodged by shifting to the left.
"27."
Apachai raised his left arm and brought down his elbow towards Shirou like a guillotine. Shirou jumped back a bit to get out of the elbow's path.
"28."
Apachai knelt down slightly and reeled back his right fist to throw a power uppercut at Shirou's chin with the weight of his entire torso behind it. Shirou tightened his footing and swayed his body back, making the uppercut a few centimeters away from grazing him.
"29."
Now that Apachai was done going through all the hits he had used before, he was now ready to use a new one. Using the momentum of his uppercut, Apachai shifted his weight and spun his whole body around to throw a roundhouse kick with his right leg.
Shirou's eyes widened when he saw it. An opening had finally presented itself. Apachai's entire body was being held up only by his left leg. Shirou quickly capitalized on that and dove in, ducking underneath Apachai's kick and slide, kicking Apachai's left ankle. This made Apachai's leg slip back and messed up his balance, leaving his wide open.
"Good, he saw it. Now he finally has a golden opportunity to strike." The Elder thought.
"This timing." Shirou cocked back his fist. "This angle." He planted his right foot on the ground to put his back into his punch. "This position." And he finally threw his straight right aimed at Apachai's chin. "It'll be perfect."
WHOOSH!
However, just before his fist could make contact, quick as a flash, Apachai vanished without a trace, and Shirou's punch only hit the air. Hardly able to comprehend what had just happened, Shirou instinctively turned his head around to look behind him. And just as his head was halfway around, he could make out a gloved fist that was about to make contact with his head. It was so close Shirou only saw a bright flash of red appear out of nowhere.
"APAAAAAAA!"
POW!
And just like that, everything went dark for Shirou as the next blow immediately wiped out his consciousness. While unconscious, his body was flung upwards like a rubber ball, and when he hit the ground, it kicked up a cloud of dirt. Shirou just laid there, not moving an inch, and his eyes had lost all shine. Meanwhile, Apachai just stood there looking as though he had just realized what he had done and could only say.
"Oops."
Sakaki face-palmed. "That idiot, he got too carried away in the end and forgot to hold back."
"Apachai has always had trouble holding back. When training a Disciple, you should always use less than 10% in a spar. Unfortunately, Apachai always goes beyond that limit." Kensei explained while shaking his head. "This time, he was lucky to be training someone who could still keep up to an extent, but in the end, he allowed his impulses to take over and threw a real punch with real speed."
"It was because the boy created an opening himself rather than waiting for one." The Elder informed them. "Because he was in the perfect position to be countered, Apachai's instincts took over, and he forgot this was training. Muay Thai is engraved into his mind, so in a situation like that, you can't help but forgive him for doing the only thing he knows how to do."
"Shirou!" Miu shouted in fear and concern, running up to him. She kneeled down in front of him and rested his head on her knees, trying to see if he was okay. "He's still breathing, but these wounds are terrible. I should have stopped him." She said, regretful.
"I sorry." Apachai apologized, also concerned for Shirou's health.
"Now, now." Kensei approached them. "It's not your fault. He knew what he was getting into when they started." Kensei assured her. "Besides, he's not so bad; nothing's broken after all. Just a few bruises here and there. Just send him to my acupuncture clinic, and I'll help dull the pain a bit."
"Apa, Apachai will carry him." Apachai offered, lifting him up. "Is way of apologizing."
"I'll go check on Kenichi and Akisame." Miu decided, walking off.
While Kensei and Apachai left to fix Shirou, the rest of them just stayed on the porch.
"Well, I guess that was the best he could hope for." Sakaki shrugged. "Still, though, I'm impressed the punk lasted as long as he did. It's like he's some kind of monster prodigy or something. Kinda interested to see how far he'll go from here."
"Oh, in that case, why not take him on as a Disciple, then?" The Elder suggested.
Sakaki's eyes went wide at that suggestion, and he immediately barked. "For the last time, Old Man, I don't take Disciples!" He shouted before walking away while grumbling.
"Ha, he just can't be honest with himself." The Elder joked.
Shigure then got up and started to walk away, too.
"And what about you, Shigure?" The Elder asked her, making her halt. "What do you think of the boy?"
"…He's… Interesting."
That was all she said before she was gone.
"Hmm, I couldn't agree more." The Elder thought, stroking his beard.
—
30 minutes later. Akisame had just finished with Kenichi's training session and was now standing in front of the porch by the house where the Masters lived in that was beside the dojo, while Kenichi was lying on the porch exhausted. Akisame was about to walk away.
"Well, since it's the first day, I decided to take it easy on you." Akisame informed him before turning to face him. "Today was light, but tomorrow's a different story, so get plenty of rest. As soon as the sun comes up, we begin your real training." He warned him before walking away.
Contrary to everything he just said, Kenichi was a mess. He was flat on his back, battered and worn out, a withering husk that couldn't move without feeling sore in whatever little muscle he had, and for whatever reason, he had tire tracks on his torso. All the while, his mouth was wide open, and he was resting in a puddle of sweat, and his head was in a puddle of drool and tears.
"He calls that light?" Kenichi cried out in his head, too exhausted to speak.
A little while later, Kenichi was leaving the dojo grounds, struggling to walk straight.
"He treats me worse than any bully I've come across." Kenichi complained distraughtly. "I'm gonna quit. I'm definitely going to quit." He told himself while walking to the gate on shaky legs, sometimes losing his footing.
However, just as he reached the gate, Miu came up to him after she had just finished sweeping the ground with a broom. "Hi, Kenichi." She addressed him while leaning forward and having a cutesy expression on her face. "It must be difficult, but give it your best to train hard tomorrow too."
Seeing her face immediately changed Kenichi's expression, and he melted over her like a lovesick puppy. Instead of responding, he just gave her a smile and a thumbs-up, to which she returned. "I'll stick with this a bit longer." He thought, being fickle. He was about to leave again when Kenichi remembered something.
"Oh, that's right. Do you know where Shirou is?" Kenichi asked, concerned. "Is he finished with his training?"
Miu looked a little down upon his question. "Well, he did, but he lost consciousness at the end."
"He lost consciousness? Someone like Shirou was knocked out by their training?" Kenichi thought, flabbergasted as if the idea was unthinkable to even imagine. "What kind of insane, inhumane training did they give him? All I know is it must have been as hard as or hard than mine."
"Oh, you're done too."
A familiar voice suddenly spoke out. When Kenichi and Miu turned around, they were surprised to see the still beaten, bruised, and wounded Shirou walking up to them, not looking bothered by his injuries.
Kenichi was dumbstruck to see him like that and was about to say something when someone else beat him to it.
"Shirou!" Miu ran up to him, concerned. "Is it okay for you to be up already?"
"Relax, I'm fine." Shirou shrugged while Miu was in front of him. "Thanks to Kensei's acupuncture, the pain is dulled down for now. I'll probably be asleep when it wears off, and I've always been a fast healer, so the bruises will be gone before long as well."
"Thank goodness, I was really worried when you stopped moving before." Miu told him, relieved, before looking at him with a gentle expression. "I want you to know I thought you were amazing back there. You're a much better fighter than I expected."
"That's because you hardly know me." Shirou responded nonchalantly. "I'm full of surprises."
"Yeah, I know." Miu nodded, still smiling, and placed a hand on his cheek. "I hope you get better soon because I…." She paused, looking a bit nervous. "I really hope we can train together sometimes."
"That actually sounds pretty good." Shirou said, accepting her offer.
Meanwhile, Kenichi was watching this entire exchange between the two of them and had comical tears streaming down his eyes and a frustrated expression.
"Are you kidding?! All I get is a 'give it your best', and he gets all that! It's not fair!" He whined in his thoughts. Until he took another look at Shirou's injuries. "But then again… Considering the rough state he's in, I guess I can't be too upset. What the heck did he do?"
Suddenly, Kenichi felt the presence of someone else behind him and turned around to see that Apachai was there. He had a smile on his face and was holding a medium-sized wooden stick.
"Apachai doesn't have much skill, but I made you this, Apa." Apachai gave Kenichi the stick to be used as a walking stick.
Kenichi gasped when he heard that. After which, he and Shirou walked out the gate and left while Miu and Apachai were waving goodbye. All the while, Shirou was walking, and Kenichi was using the stick to help himself walk.
—
"He… He made this, especially for me…." Kenichi thought of Apachai with gratitude. "What a great guy… Should I have chosen him as my Master instead?"
"So, what did you do with Akisame?" Shirou brought up.
Though, part of me wished he didn't ask that because after saying those words, Kenichi had the face of someone who had just finished getting drunk after being fired.
"It was torture! He made him do all sorts of crazy things and kept calling it training! It felt like my body was being torn apart!" Kenichi whaled loudly and desperately. "And when it was over, he made me run all the way to Solamigaoka Park while he tied a tire to my back and sat on it as he kept whipping meeeee!"
"Wait, Solamigaoka Park?" Shirou repeated, surprised. "That's on the other side of town."
"That's what I said!" Kenichi responded before he almost tripped. "Ow, it hurts just to move."
"Well, at least you have a walking stick." Shirou lazily consoled.
"Yeah, I'm glad Apachai made it for me." Kenichi agreed, thankful. "He's nicer than I thought he would be; maybe I should've trained with him?"
"I seriously doubt that."
"How come?"
"Because Apachai was the one who gave me these."
Shirou pointed to all his injuries, which made Kenichi cry out in shock.
"Eeehhhhh!"
"Why are you shocked when you saw me go to train with Apachai!?" Shirou snapped
"Well, I, I thought you trained with him for a bit, then moved on to one of the others, and the damage built up after a while." Kenichi explained nervously.
"Not a bad guess. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case." Shirou informed him. "All this was from Apachai teaching me how to dodge, and if I couldn't dodge, I took a hit."
"Gaaahh! Does this mean every Master in that dojo is as crazy as Akisame-Sensei?" Kenichi wallowed at the idea.
"Not exactly." Shirou assured him. "While I was training, I could tell Apachai was trying to make it easier for me by keeping it simple and trying to hold back. He's just bad at holding back in general, but he didn't mean to knock me out; in fact, he apologized about it after I woke up." He explained. "So Apachai is a gentle giant who's bad at controlling himself, while Akisame is fully capable of controlling himself but gives others the hardest training imaginable willingly."
"So he's just a sadist then." Kenichi deduced. "I wonder if I'll be okay."
"Still, though, Apachai wasn't just strong and fast. His skill and Technique were flawless." Shirou pondered on it. "Even in Thailand, I never met anyone that good."
"Yeah…" Kenichi agreed before zoning in on the main thing he said. "Wait, you've been to Thailand?!"
"My family stayed there for a short period, but that's a story for another time." Shirou told him.
Kenichi was still curious but accepted his response.
"The more I reflect on it, the more amazed I am." Shirou thought. "If it wasn't for Dad's training, there's no way I would've lasted that long, and even then, Apachai was using kid gloves against me. His punches were both heavy and sharp, like upon contact, they were piercing through chunks of my body. And his kicks felt like iron hammers. Not to mention his speed made it feel like they were coming in every direction." He then smirked with satisfaction. "If all the others are like this, then I made the right choice joining that dojo."
—
Around the same time Kenichi and Shirou left, Akisame walked along the porch and approached Kensei.
"So, how was your training with Kenichi?" Kensei brought.
"As well as you could expect." Akisame answered him.
"I see. Well, hopefully, he'll improve over time." Kensei believed. "Assuming you don't break him with your Spartan-like training."
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Akisame retorted sarcastically. "Aside from that, I heard about what happened during Shirou's training."
Kensei nodded, now serious. "It was something to behold."
"When I first saw him, I could already see he was a capable Martial Artist for someone his age, but the one thing I couldn't grasp was his potential." Akisame said, also serious. "Only one other individual was ever like that."
"I know. I remember it as well." Kensei agreed.
"It's actually a bit different." A voice suddenly spoke.
The Elder came out from behind them and joined the conversation.
"The boy was impressive, yes, but I saw something more." The Elder brought up. "It isn't as though he hasn't reached his true potential, but rather, his fangs have become dull."
"Dull?" Kensei repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"
"From what I can tell, his talent and abilities are not inferior to Miu's, but his training was completely different. He must have trained with many different teachers who introduced him to different disciplines. By doing so, he became a Martial Artist who has a wide array of styles and skills." The Elder explained. "However, he never had something essential to complete his growth. That was fighting against real opponents who could push him to his limits and help him surpass them."
"I get it, he's received adequate training, and his skills have been honed, but unfortunately, he's never had the opportunity to use them in a real situation, and training can only go so far." Akisame deduced. "He's basically a Sword that's been masterfully crafted but never taken out of its sheath."
"That's right. While training Miu when she was a child, I made sure to let her fight whenever she could. That's what made her the fighter she is today." The Elder continued. "Without anyone to fight, he was never truly pushed to his limits and learned to go beyond them, and so he never had the chance to actually sharpen his fangs."
"But tonight was different. Even though it was only sparring, facing an opponent of Apachai's caliber was more than enough to draw out his hidden potential. Little by little, he started to show his true abilities." Kensei added. "Meaning he is currently a bud that's only beginning to bloom."
"And that's what I plan to have his training be based on while he's here in Ryozanpaku. I want to completely draw out his hidden potential and help him realize his true strength. Both he and young Kenichi have an interesting air around them, and I want to see them both reach their peak."
"Leaving Kenichi aside, are you sure it's wise to have Shirou's abilities grow so quickly?" Kensei asked, concerned. "This might sound biased, but he shares more than a few similarities with our last Disciple."
"I agree with Kensei." Akisame added. "Shirou is a genius when it comes to fighting, and he's very in tune with his instincts. He already seems like a great fighter that any Master would want to train, just like Ogata Ishinsai when we first took him in, and he ended up taking a dark path. I'd rather not let that happen again."
"Trust me. There's no need to worry about that." The Elder assured them. "Unlike Ogata, I don't feel any hidden darkness in Shirou. Rather, all I see is a boy who simply loves recklessly challenging strong opponents and pushing himself for the sheer fun of fighting." He smiled, looking up at the moon. "And one day before long, when his hidden potential fully blooms, it'll be the birth of an incredible Martial Artist."
And that's the chapter. Like I said, this chapter was basically introductions for the residents of Ryozanpaku and having Kenichi and Shirou meet all of them. As you saw, Shirou was able to see just how amazing all of them were, and in turn, they saw that Shirou was a diamond in the rough that needed to be polished. And so Shirou will become a Disciple along with Kenichi. However, I plan on making Shirou's training more relevant in this story compared to Kenichi's in the canon, like showing he's making improvements instead of always getting trashed in training.
As you saw, Shirou's long-term goal is to become as strong as he can be to fulfill the promise he made to his childhood friend. When I saw that part of the series, I hated that. For Ryuto, the promise meant so much to him, but Kenichi hardly cared about it at all, and in the beginning, he even forgot about it. So, I changed it to Shirou's promise to give it greater value.
Finally, we learn that Shirou's full potential has yet to be realized, and that is what the main focus of his training will be in the beginning. Through fight after fight, he'll keep growing stronger and keep getting closer to bringing out his hidden power. I figured if he had any problem, it was that his training put a leash on his power because he lacked actual combat experience against an equal, which is something that can actually lessen your capabilities.
Anyway, 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.