Hey everyone, and get ready for this chapter. This chapter will mainly deal with wrapping up Kenichi's issue with the Karate club. It will cover the parts, the preparation for the fight, and then the fight itself. I'll be putting more detail into the training so he'll be more ready for it, and the fight itself will be slightly different. Enjoy.
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.
Bringing Down A Bully
It was nighttime in Koryuu City as the sky was black, and the only source of light was the moon and stars in the sky and the streetlights on the ground. In the suburban area where Shirou's house was located, through the windows, it could be seen that the lights were still on, meaning someone was still inside and awake.
Inside the house—In the living room, Haruto Tsukiharu was currently sitting on the couch in front of the TV. He was currently watching a movie and enjoying a night of carefree lazing. Suddenly, though, from the front door, he could hear the door opening and someone walking inside. Already knowing who it was, he got up and went over to the door.
"I'm back!" Shirou announced, walking in.
"Hey, welcome b—" Haruto cut off his sentence and paused.
All the boy could do was look at his older Brother in surprise, a surprise that came from seeing the state he was in. Shirou was covered in bruises, and his outfit was all ruffled. He looked as though he was hit multiple times by a hard-blunt object without protection. Which considering where he had just come from, that wasn't exactly inaccurate.
"I know; it's not a pretty sight." Shirou said, being able to guess what Haruto was thinking based on his expression.
"Yeah…. What happened to you?" Haruto asked, now curious.
"Ha, oh boy, where do I begin?" Shirou looked amused as he walked past him.
Later, they were both in the dining room, sitting on different seats at the table. As they both got a drink and sat down, Shirou explained the events of what happened earlier that same night. He began about Ryozanpaku, the nature of the dojo, about Miu and all the Masters, their training, and what Shirou personally thought was the most important part; how strong they were.
"That's crazy." Haruto responded, not knowing a better way to put it. "There are that many powerful Martial Arts Masters. It just so happens that none of them use the same style, and they all somehow live under the same roof."
"I agree." Shirou said, taking a sip of his drink. "I had trouble wrapping my head around at first, too, and I was there."
"From what you told me about this Apachai person that you trained with and the one named Akisame that trained Kenichi, I'm guessing that the Masters of Ryozanpaku are capable Martial Artists but incapable teachers." Haruto deduced. "Sounds like they take whatever Disciple they can get and make them go through a Spartan-like training regimen, hoping it will create positive results."
"Sounds about right." Shirou confirmed his thoughts. "Unlike the more standard practice on training a Disciple where you first see their level of skill and start from that level of training, they just jump into the expert level. And unlike Apachai, who can't hold back, I'm betting the others could but just don't want to."
"Well, I'm pretty sure you can handle that kind of training. The real problem is Kenichi." Haruto pointed out. "He has the backbone of a jellyfish. Even if it's so, he can beat his bully. He's the kind of person who gives up immediately after things get hard."
"True, but I'm pretty confident he'll come again tomorrow." Shirou said, though he didn't sound like he was praising him. "For no other reason than to spend more time gawking at Miu."
"Really?" Haruto asked, confused. "I know I haven't seen her, but is she really attractive enough to motivate him that much?"
"If it was the Miu from School, then probably not." Shirou admitted. "But at the dojo, she looks completely different. She lets her hair down, loses the glasses, and is dressed completely differently."
"How different?" Haruto asked, curious.
"She wears nothing but a purple, spandex jumpsuit that fits her like a second layer of skin." Shirou let out a sigh. "It basically shows off all her curves and puts an emphasis on her already huge rack."
Then Haruto let out a sigh. "Somehow, Kenichi only ever acts like a man in the most unless situations, his desires in particular." He noted.
"Yeah, moving on." Shirou changed the subject. "Despite their personalities or lifestyle, those Masters are the real deal. If I can successfully train with all of them and then move on to train with the Elder, I dare say I'd be unrivaled."
"But you're already unrivaled." Haruto reminded him.
"That's only in this stupid town." Shirou clarified. "I'm talking about being unrivaled on an international scale."
"Whoa, are you serious?" Haruto questioned. If someone else were to have made such a claim, he'd of thought they were just being full of it. But coming from the words of his Brother, he could actually picture it as possible. Thus he asked. "I need to ask, though, between the Masters of Ryozanpaku and Dad, who do you think is stronger?"
"If we're talking one-on-one, I'd say the Old Man is at least a level or two above each of them." Shirou claimed before looking up. "But the Elder is a different story. All I had to do was meet him, and I could already tell he was crazy strong. Hate to say it, but I don't think I can picture him losing to the Old Man."
"Then the Elder must be some kind of monster." Haruto noted, a little overwhelmed."
"They're all monsters." Shirou reminded him before standing up from his seat. "And starting from today, I'm going to be training under them."
"Hey, Brother." Haruto spoke with a knowing smile. "You're excited about this, aren't you?"
Shirou didn't face him but had a smirk. "I'm about to enter a den of monsters in order to become one myself. Of course, I'm enjoying this." He answered.
After which, he left to head for his room, calling it a day.
—
Two days after that night. It was after school had let out, and Shirou, along with Kenichi, made their way back to Ryozanpaku. Right now, it was the afternoon, and once again, Kenichi was undergoing training from Akisame. And by that, I mean he's being put through hellish training by a sadistic Akisame.
"YOUR HEAD IS TOO HIGH!" Akisame roared so loud he could be heard from outside the gate.
The current training was Kenichi in a judo gi, without the shirt, practicing basic stepping movements. Akisame had Kenichi hold up a large jar of Sake in each hand while he shuffled his feet past small wooden logs that were half-buried into the ground that were close to each other. Akisame himself was standing beside him while holding a bamboo stick, which was meant to be a cane, and he was perfectly willing to use it.
"Keep your hips down low!" Akisame ordered him as Kenichi struggled to move forward. "Much better. Now shuffle your feet quickly and move between the posts." He instructed him, swinging the cane past the top of Kenichi's head.
"Grr, how much longer do I have to keep doing this!?" Kenichi struggled to complain. "It's been nothing but muscle training for two days straight. Enough's enough! When are you gonna start teaching me Ju-jitsu?"
"Regardless of what you might think, building your strength is the key." Akisame told him. "No matter how skilled or trained he might be, an ant can't defeat an elephant, can he?"
"What a minute. Are you comparing me to an ant?" Kenichi asked.
"Perhaps that was insensitive. That analogy is unfair." Akisame said, somewhat regretful, before he smiled. "…To the ant."
"Now you're just making fun of me!" Kenichi whined, now fed up. "I wanna quit you here me! I've had enough!"
"Kenichi, listen. Despite its meager size, an ant has the power to lift items several times its own weight. There is much you can learn from an ant." Akisame recited a philosophy that silenced Kenichi.
He then sat up and responded timidly. "Um, I know I'm kinda small, and I'm not the Strongest guy around, but I'm willing to learn if you'll tell me what's next." He finished, looking up at him.
Akisame chuckled and said. "Well, let's take a little break."
Kenichi sighed with relief.
.
.
.
"Alright, now get back to work!" Akisame barked after a few seconds.
Sitting on the porch were the Elder, Hayato, and Apachai. The two of them were watching over the training that was going on right now.
Hayato laughed, feeling pleasant. "It was a great idea to pick Akisame as his first instructor; he's giving him excellent guidance."
"He has Disciple, lucky." Apachai pouted, envious.
"Oh, why aren't you training with Shirou today?" Hayato asked him.
"Is not Apachai's turn today, Apa." Apachai answered, feeling bored.
Kenichi heard them and brought up a question. "Speaking of Shirou, where is he? I haven't seen him since we started training."
Akisame laughed for a bit. "Oh, that? Since right now is my shift in training him, I had him do some light roadwork so he could warm himself up before we began."
As if by some universal cue. A tired, heavily breathing Shirou walked up to them. His shirt wrapped around his waist, and his whole body was covered in sweat. He looked like someone who had just run a marathon and was gasping for air, trying to catch his breath.
"Huff… Huff… I'm back." He said through his shallow breathing.
"Ah, welcome back." Akisame greeted him. "I'm impressed. You finished that exercise about three times faster than Kenichi."
"Faster than me?" Kenichi thought for a second before realizing something. "Wait! You didn't make him do the same long-distance running I did you?"
"Of course not." Akisame denied it as if the idea was ridiculous. "I made him alternate between running and sprinting while tying tires to his legs." He corrected. "To compensate me for not being there to whip him in case he slowed down."
"That's even worse!" Kenichi shouted.
"Huff… It took all the willpower I had not to just say 'Screw it' and go home… Wheeze." Shirou told them through his cough.
"Well, I'm glad your willpower persevered." Akisame said, looking glad. "Now we can move on to the real training."
"Why not? I'd rather not have all that running be for nothing." Shirou replied, not in the mood to argue right now.
—
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Kenichi's pain-filled bellow was a sign of the next phase of their training. Right now, Kenichi's legs were forcibly placed in a split position by Apachai, who was sitting in front of him while also holding his arms to pull his upper body forward. While Akisame, Hayato, and Kensei were standing beside them.
"Moving on." Akisame started. "You will now begin training your lower body to be more flexible."
"Is fun, yes?" Apachai asked, pleasantly enjoying himself.
"I think I heard my thigh break!" Kenichi cried out in agony.
"Hmm, maybe I should teach him a few pointers myself." Kensei suggested.
"Augh! I really don't think my body was designed to twist like this!"
"Hang on, Kensei, isn't it now your shift on Shirou's training?" Akisame questioned him. "Where is he?"
"Well, as it turns out, he can already do a split." Kensei confessed to them. "So instead, I had him go to a training post a told him to kick it 100 times without a break."
"Ah, endurance training to condition his legs, great idea." Akisame praised him.
Hayato started to chuckle. "You know, two are very fortunate to have such amazing resources at your disposal." He told Kenichi. "Even a King would be lucky to have so many Masters."
"You call this lucky?!" Kenichi thought to himself, frustrated, before crying out in pain once again. "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"Get real, geezer." Shirou scoffed, walking up to them. "Any King who can't find good resources without luck is a third-string King at best."
"Haha, that's quite harsh." Hayato joked at his comment.
"Shirou?" Kenichi looked up to see him.
"And you." He addressed Kenichi. "Quit screaming like a pregnant rhino already. I can hear all the way on the other side of the dojo."
"You try doing this without feeling pain!" Kenichi snapped at him.
"Whatever." Shirou brushed it off and turned to Kensei. "I finished your stupid kicking workout. Now, give me some better training."
"That's how he talks to his Master?" Kensei thought, dumbstruck. "Fine then. First, I'll gauge your current ability in Kenpo, and we'll go from them."
Before they could walk off, however, Kenichi called out to them after releasing himself from Apachai.
"Hold on a second; how come Shirou gets to learn techniques while I'm only allowed to do strength training?" Kenichi asked, not liking the current situation.
"Didn't I already tell you building your strength is key?" Akisame reminded him. "Unlike you, Shirou already has the basic training and necessary physical build under his belt; that's why he's moved on to that level of his training while you're still preparing yourself." He explained. "It's like they say; No matter how great the constructor, a building must always follow the necessary steps in order to—"
"Would you give the philosophical Mumbo Jumbo a rest already!" Shirou cut him off, annoyed.
"…Well, that was hurtful." Akisame thought.
"Look, Kenichi." Shirou started. "Before you ask them to teach you some techniques, answer me this: The way you are right now, what do you think would happen if you fought Daimonji?" He asked him seriously.
"Well, obviously, I'd be killed." Kenichi said, not doubting it for a second. "That's the reason I came here in the first place."
"Yet you completely missed the point." Shirou informed him. "Even if they teach you techniques, it wouldn't do any good because you're missing something that's just as important."
"I'm missing something?" Kenichi repeated, confused. "What's that?"
Before answering, Shirou grabbed Kenichi by the forearm and lifted him to his feet so he could look him in the eye. "Power!" He answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Even with all the technique in the world, without power, your hits won't do a thing. And right now, no matter how many times you hit, your fists would just bounce off Daimonji like a Bantamweight trying to take out a Heavyweight."
"Gaahhhhh!" Kenichi looked as though all the color had drained from his face. "Then what should I do?"
"You know the answer; build up power with more training." Shirou told him. "Martial Arts isn't something you can just pick up and expect to get immediate results. Plus, without any talent, you already have to work twice as hard as the rest of us. You don't have to luxury waste time whining about it."
Shirou then started walking away, yet Kenichi still protested. "You make it sound so easy! I'm already pushing myself to the brink. I can barely make a fist with how much pain I'm in!"
"Really, yet you have the energy to stand up and complain." Shirou pointed out. He stopped walking to speak but didn't turn around. "You look fine to me, or do you not want to get stronger? Do you not want to win?"
After asking him that, he continued walking away, not wanting to hear an answer. Though Kenichi really thought about his words and took another look at himself, noticing he stopped panting and was standing up, perfectly stable.
"He's right; no matter how much I complain, it won't change the fact that I have to work harder." Kenichi thought, more determined. "I need to get as strong as possible otherwise. I won't stand a chance against Daimonji. I can't afford to waste time."
Noticing his expression changed to a more fired-up one, the Masters looked satisfied until Akisame spoke out.
"Hold on, isn't that more or less what I said a moment ago?" Akisame pointed out.
"There's quite a big difference, though." Hayato pointed out. "Young Kenichi has known Shirou much longer than any of us, and because of that, he takes the words of his friend to heart. Sometimes, all it takes are the right words from the right person to light a fire in you."
"I suppose that's fair." Akisame admitted, in good spirits.
"And it probably helped that he didn't call him lower than an ant." Kensei added, amused.
"You think so?" Akisame pondered, not having considered that.
—
Another day had passed by. Right now Miu had just finished club practice after school and was on her way to the dojo. She was currently walking past a street near a suburban area that was near a stream of water. A few steps in front of her were none other than Daimonji, along with two other goons from the Karate club, who were walking in the same direction. As Miu ran past them, she heard them having a conversation.
"So tell us the plan, Daimonji." One of the goons said. "Are you really going to fight him?"
"You might wanna take it easy on the kid. You'll break those weak knees if you're not careful." The other goons advised him.
Miu quickly hid from their sight to eavesdrop on their conversation. As they continued walking, Daimonji told them.
"Taking it easy ain't my style. We can't have a weakling like him hanging around, the Koryuu Karate club has a rep, and I'm going to keep it." Daimonji said, confidently looking up. "Shirahama's a dead man. I'm going to beat that little twerp into a pulp and use him as an example to make sure no other weaklings like him ever step foot inside our dojo again."
"Sounds like a plan to me." The first goon said, on board with the idea.
"You know that little weakling hasn't shown his face around here lately, right?" The second goon noted.
"Yeah, he's probably at home, hiding under his bed and waiting for his life to end." The first goon joked.
The three of them laughed as they walked out of sight. Miu, who was hiding by going over the sidewalk and using her hand to hang at the edge, just above the water stream, heard their conversation and felt worried. Once they were gone, she used her arm to pull her body back up, balanced herself with her arm that kept her upside-down, and then positioned herself right-side-up back on the sidewalk.
"I've got to do something to help Kenichi." Miu said, feeling urgent.
"And how exactly are you planning to help him?"
Miu jumped a bit, startled when she heard a familiar voice. When she turned around, she saw that Shirou was behind her.
"Shirou? Where'd you come from?" Miu asked, surprised that she didn't notice him.
"I take this route to." Shirou told her. "That aside, next time, you might want to find a different hiding spot." He suggested. "Unless you want people to see what's under your skirt."
Miu blinked, confused by what he said. But then remembered that just a moment ago, when she was upside down for a few seconds, it made her skirt fall down as well, thus giving anyone nearby a perfect view of her undergarments. "Ah!" Realizing that, she let out an embarrassed shriek, blushed again, and pulled on the hem of her skirt.
"Gee, we've only known each other for less than a week, and yet, that's the third time I've seen your underwear." Shirou pointed out, with minimal care. "At this rate, someone might think it's deliberate."
"I didn't know you were there!" Miu cried out, embarrassed. "I thought no one was around."
"That's because you were so focused on those goons in front of you that you didn't notice what was behind you." Shirou informed her.
"Huh? Wait, so, you heard them too?" Miu asked, now calmer.
"Yeah, that guy in front was Daimonji." Shirou told her. "Kenichi's bully."
"We have to do something." Miu insisted with urgency. "At the rate he's going, Kenichi won't be strong enough to beat that guy in time for their match."
"That's obvious, but what do you plan to do?" Shirou questioned her. "Even if you want to help, it's not like there's a method to make him stronger in an instant."
"Maybe, but if I teach him some techniques, he might have a better chance." Miu suggested, thinking it was a good idea.
"Are you forgetting Kenichi's complete lack of finesse?" Shirou asked her with half-lidded eyes. "What technique could you possibly teach him in the span of a few days that could help him win his fight?"
After being reminded of that fact, Miu became silent as if her whole plan just went out the window.
"Um… Maybe I could help him improve his defense." Miu suggested, less confident.
Shirou turned to walk away. "Do whatever you think will help. Just keep your expectations at a realistic height."
As she saw him leave, Miu pondered on his words. "Realistic? I wonder what that means?"
—
Later that day, when night fell and another training session at Ryozanpaku was over, Kenichi was carrying himself home in pain while needing a walking stick to stand up straight yet again. Right now, he was dragging himself past Kirigakure Park.
"It's a miracle that I didn't die today." Kenichi quietly moaned.
"Hey, Kenichi." Miu greeted him, appearing in front of his path.
"Miu, what's up?" Kenichi responded, surprised to see her.
"I'm glad I caught you. There are a couple of things I wanted to show you."
That made him more enthusiastic.
"What?! Are you going to teach me some cool fighting moves or something?!"
"Well, sort of. But it's more like a way of walking." She explained as she removed her uniform blazer and her glasses. "It's called the stepping method. I want you to watch me while I do it first."
She starts by taking a stance; Miu first pivots her right foot, making it slide in with her left. Then, with a swift motion, she pivots her right foot away from her left, thus turning her body in the other direction.
"See that? When the toes come together, it's called Koh-Ho, and when they pivot out, it's called Hih-Ho." She demonstrated.
Kenichi just looked dumbfounded, not seeing the point. "Uh… Okayyy?"
"You know, it might be easier if I just let you try it." Miu suggested, now smiling. "Here's what while do. This might seem weird, but I want you to attack me."
Kenichi gasped as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. He then stood up straight and said.
"I won't do it!" He rejected it without a thought. "If you think I'm the kind of guy that would hit a girl, then you're nuts. Forget it."
A small bead of sweat dropped from the back of Miu's head when she heard his claim, and she thought. "You only act like a man during useless situations…."
"All I really want you to do is try and touch me." She said out loud, rephrasing it.
Kenichi gasped again, this time for a completely different reason.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What?! You want me to t-touch you?!" Kenichi cried out, blushing and hysterically waving his arms around.
"Yeah, just come at me, and I'll teach you a trick." Miu told him, not worried.
"So I can really touch you?" Kenichi's expression changed into one that looked really excited; his eyes were sparkling, and his fingers were wriggling like he was trying to grab something. "Anywhere I wannnt?"
"Right.…" Miu answered, now feeling nervous. "I don't like the way his hands are moving right now…."
—
A few feet outside the park, Haruto was walking down the sidewalk with a shopping bag in hand. He was on the way home and was enjoying the serenity of the quiet night atmosphere.
Haruto let out a calm sigh. "There's just something about walking in silence that makes me feel relaxed."
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
"And it's over," Haruto said to himself, his calmness deflating with annoyance. However, a sudden thought occurred to him. "Wait a second. Don't I know that girlish shriek for somewhere?"
Looking over towards the park, Haruto is able to figure out where the noise came from. He runs over to the entrance and sees two people there, currently engaged in a strange-looking activity. One of them he recognized, the other he didn't.
"I was right. It is Kenichi?" Haruto whispered to himself, watching them from afar. "And that girl…." He looked over her features and remembered a previous conversation. "Blonde hair and big boobs, she must be the Miu girl Brother was talking about."
As he looks on, Haruto sees a pattern of Kenichi rushing in, as though he is attempting to grope Miu while Miu dodges and knocks him to the ground. Then Miu kneels down to explain to him the basics of the stepping method and tells Kenichi to try it himself.
"Hmm, at first glance, it just looked like sexual harassment. But she's really trying to teach him something." Haruto thought before turning to leave. "I should probably ask Brother about this." After that thought, he left to go home.
—
"You saw Miu with Kenichi?" Shirou asked.
After Haruto had returned to the house he and Shirou lived in, he saw that Shirou was already home as well, which was fortunate because Haruto didn't have to wait to tell him what he wanted to talk about. He informed Shirou of what he had witnessed back at the park a few moments ago.
"Yeah, it looked like she was training him." Haruto continued. "More specifically, she was teaching him some kind of technique called the stepping method."
"The stepping method?" Shirou repeated, thinking it over. "I get it. She said she was going to teach him a defensive technique, and so she chose one that was good for dodging, something he'll need."
"Hmm, what are you talking about?" Haruto asked, not following him.
"Oh, right, I didn't tell you." Shirou remembered before he explained. "Kenichi's fight is only a few days away, but he's still nowhere near ready, so Miu wanted to help him out by teaching him a move that'll give him a better chance."
"By what exactly does the stepping method do?" Haruto asked. "Unfortunately, I didn't learn as much about Martial Arts from Dad as you did."
"It's a continuous pivot-step movement where you balance your knees and legs to transition from one move to the next almost simultaneously. Basically, you just let your opponent close in, then do a quick to dodge and get in their blind spot, a pretty simple technique." Shirou explained.
"While I can see how that move can be helpful, how are you supposed to win a fight by just dodging?" Haruto questioned, confused.
"You can't." Shirou answered like it was apparent. "The stepping method is meant to be used as a chain technique. You use it, then chain it to your next attack or counterattack."
"That's kind of weird, then. Miu didn't mention that part." Haruto noted.
"What do you mean?" Shirou asked, now the one who was confused.
"She didn't mention anything about attacking." Haruto clarified. "She just showed him the stepping method and told him to practice it before leaving."
"That idiot." Shirou grits his teeth. "Doesn't she have an ounce of common sense?"
"What's wrong?" Haruto asked, surprised by his change in demeanor.
"There's only one reason why Miu didn't teach him about shifting the stepping method into offense." Shirou told him. "It's because she expects him to figure it out himself."
Haruto's expression changed as he immediately understood what the problem was. "But Kenichi is as dense as a brick, and his intuition for Martial Arts is nonexistent. He can't figure these things out unless you tell him straight out."
"Exactly, and I'm guessing she must have Miu assumed 'since it was obvious to her, anybody should be able to figure it out' without considering the person's actual ability, meaning she must be pretty dense herself." Shirou noted.
"So, are you going to tell him?" Haruto asked.
"I have to; otherwise, he'll go into a fight without being able to fight." Shirou responded.
—
The following day came, and it was currently lunch break at Koryuu High School. Right now, Shirou was on the roof with his back leaning against the metal fence and was waiting for someone to arrive. Before long, the door opened, and Kenichi walked in.
"Hey, Shirou." Kenichi greeted, approaching him.
"I'll get straight to the point." Shirou said, being quick about it. "You learned a new trick, didn't you?"
"Huh, yeah. Miu taught it to me. It's called the stepping method." Kenichi proclaimed, both proud and excited, before asking. "How did you know?"
"Considering how everyone from our grade was talking about seeing someone who was walk-sliding and shuffling towards School this morning. I'd be weirder if I didn't know." Shirou told him drily. "Only you would do that."
Kenichi then looked sheepish and rubbed the back of his hair. "Ah well ha, Miu told me to practice as much as I could, and so I…."
"Forget it." Shirou told him. "That's not what I wanted to talk about."
"Huh? Then what did you want to talk about?" Kenichi asked, now curious.
"I know what the stepping method is, but tell me something." Shirou said, taking a few steps to the side. "How do you plan on winning a fight if all you know is dodging?"
"Well…" Kenichi thought about it before answering. "I think I'll dodge past Daimonji's attacks and then wait for my chance to strike."
Shirou just looked at him like he was an idiot. "Do you not remember a thing I told you the other day?"
"What do you mean?" Kenichi asked, not seeing the problem.
Shirou let out a tired sigh. "Fine, I guess the only way you'll get it is after a demonstration." He then stood in front of him. "Kenichi, let's do a practice exercise. I'll attempt an attack on you, and you use what you've learned against me."
"What? You mean right now?!" Kenichi asked, clearly nervous.
"Think of it as a way to prepare yourself against Daimonji." Shirou reasoned. "How will you know it'll work if you don't try it on someone first?"
"Well, I suppose that's a good point." Kenichi soon took a stance. "Okay, let's try it."
After taking a second to get ready, they began. Shirou charged forward and threw a telegraphed punch that lacked any finesses, perfect for dodging. Kenichi used that chance to move past it.
"Koh-Ho!" Kenichi thought, pivoting his feet together. "Hih-Ho!" He then pivoted them apart and slid past the punch, now at Shirou's unguarded right.
Now that he had the opportunity, Kenichi moved fast and threw a punch into Shirou's side, and succeeded in landing the first blow. He looked both amazed and excited at his accomplishment. However, it only took a second for him to notice Shirou was fazed by his attack and another second for Shirou to turn, now facing him, and throw a punch of his own at Kenichi. Stopping just an inch away from hitting him in the face.
"You get it now?" Shirou questioned him. "This is the exact same outcome that's going to happen during the fight."
"But how?" Kenichi uttered, confused. "I did it just like Miu taught me?"
"Miu didn't train you hard. She trained you stupid." Shirou informed him. "The stepping method is a technique used for setting up a counterattack. There are several techniques that can be used to attack despite not having strength. Unfortunately, she never taught you any of those, so you only know how to dodge, and since you lack power, you have no means of attacking."
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Kenichi screamed in horror at this new revelation while falling on all fours. "Then what am I supposed to do?! There are only three days left until the match, and that move is the only thing I've learned!"
"Yeah, I have more bad news; you haven't exactly mastered that either. I telegraphed my punch to make it easier to dodge." Shirou corrected him. "Honestly, I think anybody could have dodged it. Daimonji won't show the same mercy."
"I'M DEEAAAAAAADDDDDD!" Kenichi bellowed at the top of his lungs, feeling all hope was lost.
"Not yet, you're not. Because I'm going to help you." Shirou told him, which immediately silenced Kenichi. "I told you there are techniques that can be used to attack without strength. I'm going to teach you one."
"Seriously!?" Kenichi quickly ran up to him, hope coming back to his expression. "Will that help me survive?!"
"That depends on you." Shirou responded. "One technique won't decide the outcome, so here's what we're going to do; from now until the match, you're going to spend the day practicing the stepping method. After training at the dojo, we'll head to my house and train you to get ready any way we can."
"B-But, what kind of training do you plan on giving me?" Kenichi asked before becoming fearful. "It's not going to be more strength training like what Akisame-Sensei, is it?"
"Relax, loser." Shirou pushed him back a step. "We'll train by sparring, I'll show you the right moves, and then you try them out. After that, we'll keep doing trial and error until you get to the point where you could do it reliably."
"Will that even work?" Kenichi asked, still nervous and unsure. "I mean, we only have three days."
"It'll be fine. What I'm going to teach you is simple and won't take long to learn." Shirou assured him. "Even a Martial Arts mush-brain like you can do it."
"Why does he always sneak an insult into these types of conversations?" Kenichi thought, feeling vexed.
—
Over the next three days, things followed a specific pattern. The day would start with Kenichi going to School whilst practicing the stepping method. The rest of the day would be ordinarily going to class and studying. After School, Shirou and Miu would accompany him to Ryozanpaku, where he would be subjected to agonizing exercises in the name of strength training all the way till sundown. And finally, at night, he would follow Shirou to his place of residence and learn step-by-step a way to beat Daimonji.
Before he knew it, the three days had ended in no time at all; the day of the match had finally arrived. Once the School day had ended, Kenichi and Shirou stood outside the front door of the School's Karate dojo. Kenichi was in his Karate gi, and Shirou was in his normal clothes.
"The day has finally arrived." Shirou noted, turning to Kenichi. "You nervous?"
"N-not at all." Kenichi answered, though from the way his knees were shaking, it was clear he was lying. "Or maybe a little."
"Well, don't be." Shirou slapped him on the back. "Remember you've got me in your corner, and you're more than ready to beat that muscle head."
Kenichi took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I hope so."
"Listen, regardless of the outcome. This is going to be the last time you ever walk into that dojo as a member of that club." Shirou reminded him before cracking a smirk. "So you might as well leave as a winner."
Kenichi processed his words and smiled. "You're right; what's the worst that could happen."
With his spirit renewed, Kenichi, with Shirou at his side, boldly entered the Karate club's dojo.
—
"Shirahama! You got some nerve showing your face in my club." Daimonji growled at him.
And with a giant like Daimonji towering over him, Kenichi's spirit crumpled like a piece of paper.
"Uh… W-Well, we-we agreed we'd meet in a week for the match, so I thought…." Kenichi nervously defended himself.
"You fool! This ain't a match. It's a beating." Daimonji angrily corrected him. "Now, say your prayers before I crush you."
"You can't say for sure that you'll beat me." Kenichi quietly retorted.
"Oh really?" Daimonji picked up a small bucket on the floor. "Since you don't seem to get it…." To make a point, Daimonji punched through the bottom of the bucket, which broke a hole through it, and the part that was punched off flew into the wall, going right past a now sweating Kenichi. "I'm more than happy to clear things up for you."
"Neat trick, but a bucket can't fight back."
"Hmm, who's saying that!" Daimonji said, angry at being taunted.
However, he and everyone else in the dojo gasped, and he became slightly less assertive when he saw who it was. Standing at the entrance to the Karate club's dojo was Shirou, now wearing a scowl.
"Shirou Tsukiharu?" Daimonji breathed out, intimidated.
He wasn't the only one as everyone else in the club who was here to watch a one-sided beatdown quickly became stricken with fear at the sight of the infamous Delinquent and started whispering amongst themselves.
"What's he doing here?"
"I don't know."
"You don't think he's looking for a fight, do you?"
"Well, now that I think about it, I've heard people say he hangs out with Shirahama a lot."
"Seriously?! Why didn't you tell me? What if we pissed him off."
Even though they were being discrete with their whispering, it was obvious Shirou could still hear them perfectly. However, the one person who wasn't scared or intimidated by him stepped forward.
He was Saizo Tsukuba, the Captain of the Karate club. He was tall, standing one inch taller than Daimonji, and was also wearing a Karate gi, but with a Black-belt. He had dark black hair and a crew-cut hairstyle. His face was rough-looking, like he had a permanent scowl and a strong-looking chin. The most noticeable thing about him was his muscular build and the way he stood. Unlike Daimonji, who was just a common thug, Tsukuba had the aura of someone who genuinely studied Karate.
"Tsukiharu." Tsukuba addressed him with a glare.
"Tsukuba." Shirou responded with a taunting grin.
"Why are you here?" Tsukuba got to the point. "This is a matter involving the Karate club, meaning it doesn't concern you. Or are you here for a fight?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. I only came here to watch this match." Shirou clarified. "I have no intention of fighting anyone."
"R-Really?" Daimonji asked, still slightly unnerved. "You're just going to watch and nothing else?"
"Yeah." Shirou assured him before turning to the others and squinting his eyes. "But only as long as this stays as a match. If anyone else gets involved or you keep going after the match officially ends, then you'll be facing me next."
His warning made all the spectators gulp while Damonji looked more relieved.
"Okay then, I was kinda worried when I saw Tsukiharu. But if he's not here to fight, then I can relax." Daimonji said, turning back to Kenichi. "So now there's nothing stopping me from crushing you, runt."
Tsukuba stepped forward. "Alright then, I'll be the referee for the fight." The two of them stood off in front of each other, and Tsukuba gave the signal. "Begin.
Once the fight began, Daimonji let out a roar and charged forward as he threw a strong punch. Kenichi stood his ground as the punch came and kept a clear head.
"Keep it together." Kenichi thought to himself. "Remember what Shirou taught you."
(When you're facing someone that much heavier than you, it's impossible to fully block his attack. So forget about blocking—)
"—And focus on dodging!" Kenichi finished the instruction he was remembering.
With his mind focused on that, Kenichi prepared himself. As Daimonji's fist was about to connect, Kenichi ducked beneath it and pivoted to his right side—Evading Daimonji's attack and now outside his field of vision.
All those watching were surprised. The one most surprised was Tsukuba, who could see clearly that Kenichi had used a skillful technique just now and was shocked that he could do so at all. Shirou just looked satisfied, knowing how this was going to end.
"When did you…?" Daimonji was also surprised, seeing Kenichi at his side.
"Wait for it, don't attack him." Kenichi thought to himself. "My hits don't have the power to hurt him, so I'd be wasting energy."
"If you're not going to attack, then die!" Daimonji shouted, attacking again.
As he kept attacking, Kenichi kept dodging every punch that was thrown, all the while keeping a cool head.
"Stay patient. Wait for him to wear himself out." Kenichi analyzed the situation calmly. "His punches aren't too fast. Compared to Shirou's, they're moving in slow motion. I can do this."
"You idiot! Ahh!" Daimonji yelled whilst punching. "You can dodge all day long! But you won't win! You can't win!"
"He's wrong; I can do this." Kenichi inwardly assured himself. "Just have to keep dodging."
The fight kept going like this for a while. It became a pattern of Daimonji attacking and Kenichi evading. Everyone watched in silence, never expecting the fight to go like this. Unbeknownst to most, Niijima was watching in secret as well while writing something down on his PDA. Only Shirou noticed him there. But didn't say anything.
After going on for a while, Daimonji stopped punching and was panting for air while sweating a lot from all his punching. It was clear he was almost out of steam. Yet he still looked like he wanted to kill Kenichi, only his confidence was now anger.
"Huff…Huff… You're not gonna beat me if you don't fight back." Daimonji told him, trying to catch his breath.
Kenichi was sweating a bit, too, and was also running out of breath, but he was in a much better condition compared to Daimonji.
"It's almost time." Kenichi thought. "He's almost completely worn out. This is my chance."
"Oh man, Daimonji's hits are powerful, but the kid's just too fast."
"I know, if this keeps up, Daimonji's going to wear himself out."
Shirou heard what some of the spectators were saying and thought. "That's the idea, third strings. It doesn't matter how strong you are. It doesn't take much to beat a tired man."
Tsukuba also thought while watching. "He has to of had some training." He considered before turning to Shirou. "Was it him? Did Tsukiharu teach him how to fight like this?"
"You don't seem to get it, Huff… You can side-step till you're blue in the face, but if you don't attack me, you're a dead man!" Daimonji roared and charged at him again, with reckless disregard for his condition.
Now Daiminji's punches were no different than that of a lumberjack swinging an ax around without any kind of aim or focus, just mindless flailing. The frustration of not being able to land a hit on someone he saw as a weakling took away his ability to stay calm.
"He's lost it." Kenichi noticed. "Now's my chance!"
Kenichi rushed in at the same time as Daimonji and once again slid past him. However, this time he stuck out his leg in order to make it collide with Daimonji's. This resulted in Daimonji losing his balance and tripping over himself, landing on his stomach.
Once again, those watching were surprised. But none more astonished than Kenichi himself.
"It worked!?" He thought, amazed.
"Get up. You're making us look bad, Daimonji!"
"You're not going to let the kid win, are you!?"
"Yeah, man, don't give up now!"
While some of the spectators were egging him on, Daimonji slowly got back to his feet, looking even angrier. Tsukuba stepped forward.
"Daimonji, you sure you want to continue?" Tsukuba asked.
But Daimonji ignored him completely and let out another roar. "NOW YOU DIIEEEEEE!"
Kenichi readied himself to finish the match.
—
The night before the match, Kenichi and Shirou were in the backyard at Shirou's house. Kenichi was sitting on the ground, gasping for air while Shirou stood over him.
"All right then, I'd say you're ready to win that match now." Shirou decided.
"You think so?" Kenichi asked after catching his breath.
"Yeah, just make sure you follow the plan exactly. Especially the last part." Shirou instructed him. "Things will only work if the final blow goes perfectly. If you mess it up, you won't get another chance."
"So, for it to work, I have to wear him down before I can go on the offensive?" Kenichi asked for confirmation.
"That's right, and also, the first time you use the stepping method, make sure it looks like a fluke." Shirou told him. "It has to look like it was just an accident, or he just tripped."
"Okay, but why?" Kenichi asked, not getting it.
"Because that way, he won't be expecting you to be able to actually do it again on purpose." Shirou informed him. "Plus, it'll make him angrier and crazier in his fighting, which'll make it easier to get him the second time.
"I get it. Then I use the stepping method to knock him over again." Kenichi realized.
"But you'll be knocking him over using a Judo move, where you disrupt his balance and make him hit the floor hard." Shirou explained. "Once he's tired and careless, you just need to knock him down and make sure he falls headfirst. His exhaustion, plus the weight, the momentum, and the way he lands, will end the fight right there."
"But, uh, will making him hit the floor really knock him out?" Kenichi wondered. "I mean, it's just falling down."
"You only say that because you've never been in a real fight before." Shirou told him, not concerned. "Don't worry, it'll work, don't underestimate how much damage comes from falling."
—
Back in the present, Kenichi waited for his opponent to get in close. Once Daimonji was right in front of him, he made his move. Kenichi used the stepping method to dodge the wide swing punch. Following up on that, he took an extra step forward and placed his right on Daimonji's right shoulder, then he pushed with all his weight and drew him in, using his momentum to make Daimonji lose balance a second time.
Now, Daimonji was knocked off his feet and pushed forward by Kenichi, which resulted in him falling headfirst on the floor with a loud thud. After hitting the floor, Daimonji immediately lost consciousness.
This time, all the club members watching were utterly shocked. All they could do was sit there, jaw-dropped at what they had just witnessed. Even Tsukuba was speechless at what had just happened. Shirou just looked with a victorious smirk.
"That settles it." Shirou thought, pleased.
"I… Did I?" Kenichi said to himself, as surprised as everyone else. "Did I just win?"
Tsukuba then cleared his head and turned to one of the others. "Hey, go and get me a bucket of water."
As one of them went to get the water, the rest of them gathered around the fallen Daimonji.
"Did you just see that?"
"There's no way. Is this for real?"
"He hit the ground head-first."
"I can't believe it."
"That scrawny punk took him out."
As everyone else was talking amongst themselves, the bucket of water arrived, and Tsukuba dumped it all on Daimonji's head. This immediately woke him up, and he sat up gasping for air. After that, he looked around, trying to get a grasp on what just happened.
"W-What just happened?" Daimonji asked no one specific.
"The match just ended; you lost." Tsukuba answered him.
"Wha?" Daimonji gasped, unable to fully believe it. "T-That didn't count as a win, did it? That was a throwing move."
"You're pathetic." Tsukuba reprimanded him.
"He sure is." Shirou agreed, now standing beside Kenichi. "The terms were whoever beat the other guy was the winner. It said nothing about winning using only Karate."
"But he's right though." Kenichi added. "That was a Jiu-jitsu technique I used just now. I know throwing moves are against the rules in an official match, so if this were a real match, I would have been disqualified after that."
"Jiu-jitsu, where did he learn that?" Tsukuba wondered.
"Regardless, things have now been settled. The match is over, so Kenichi has officially resigned from this club. You won't be seeing him here again." Shirou turned to leave. "Come on, let's go."
"Ah, right." Before Kenichi left, he turned and bowed to the club members. "Thank you very much." He then turned as well.
"Don't thank them, you damn boy scout." Shirou told him, annoyed.
"What? It's proper courtesy." Kenichi defended.
As they reached the door, before they could open it, they were stopped.
"Wait!" Tsukuba called out, looking directly at Shirou. "It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who taught him how to fight like that."
"Did I? I don't see how that's any of your business." Shirou told him mockingly. "But hey, if you really want to know, why not find out for yourself?"
After saying those words, the two of them walked out of the Karate club's dojo, leaving an irritated Tsukuba, who was glaring at the door.
—
Later, after they had left school and it became sunset, Shirou and Kenichi were walking down their usual route. The two of them didn't bother to wait for Miu and just left by themselves.
Kenichi sighed. "It's finally over. I'm just glad I got through that without being killed."
"You'd think you'd be happier that you won." Shirou noted.
"I am glad, but I wish I could have done so without using a move that was against the rules in Karate." Kenichi said, thinking back on it.
Now Shirou sighed. "God, I always hate how much of a stickler for the rules you are."
"Well, what do you expect!?" Kenichi snapped at him. "Without rules, Martial Arts is just violence."
"I don't have a problem with violence." Shirou shrugged. "Besides, those guys in that club were just thugs. You played them at their game and won, so just take this victory and run away with it."
"I guess you're right." Kenichi then looked up at him. "Still, though, I only won because of everything you taught me. It was amazing; my head was totally clear, and everything was exactly like it was during training."
"I wonder if he even realizes what happened back there." Shirou thought. "He has no talent for fighting, and yet, he has something completely different. When he gets in the zone, all inhibitions vanish, and he's completely focused on the fight in front of him. Plus, while he has no instinct for fighting, he somehow soaks up everything he got from training and fights using moves exactly how they were done during training, like perfectly reciting a line in a book."
While Shirou was thinking about this, Kenichi didn't even notice Shirou had suddenly gone silent and was still just walking beside him. Shirou continued to think over the fight and what he had learned about Kenichi.
"It's like, while his body isn't suited for Martial Arts, his mind was built for Martial Arts." Shirou deduced. "But at the same time, any style or discipline he may learn will only be completely orthodox and by the book. Then again, that lines up with his personality."
Soon enough, after walking for a bit, they see Niijima standing before them.
"The warrior's back." Niijima addressed them.
"What do you want?" Kenichi asked, looking fed up the moment he saw him.
"I'm just curious, how'd the fight turn up for ya?" Niijima questioned Kenichi.
Before Kenichi could answer, Shirou spoke up. "Why bother asking a question you know the answer to? After all, you were watching."
Niijima smiled at that statement. "I had a feeling you knew I was there."
"Wait, he was watching?" Kenichi asked, surprised, completely unaware of this.
"Oh, keep up, would you." Niijima took out his PDA. "Word on the street is you won using an illegal move. But while it may be against official rules, the fact is you were forced into a real fight, so no matter what anyone says about it, Kenichi, in my humble opinion, you won."
Kenichi was surprised, not having thought he would hear such words from Niijima, but smiled nonetheless. "Well, thank you very much." He then noticed something. "Hey, wait, did you just call me by my name? I think that's the first time you've called me anything other than Weak Knees."
"Think of it as a reward for your victory." Niijima brushed it off.
Shirou then stepped forward.
"That's great, but I doubt you came here just to tell us that." Shirou guessed. "So what's the scope?"
"You catch on quick. That's good." Niijima put away his PDA. "I've got some info for you, Shirou. The guy who refereed Kenichi's little fight session is pretty fired up. I decided it was right to give you fair warning and let you know that he's gunning for you."
"He what?!" Kenichi asked, flabbergasted. "Are you serious?!"
"So you're saying Tsukuba wants to fight me?" Shirou asked for confirmation, not worried.
"Correct, Tsukuba, the most dangerous fighter in the Karate club, not to mention the fact that he's in tight with a gang of thugs." Niijima confirmed before walking away. "But considering it's you were talking about, I'd say it shouldn't be an issue. But sure to tell me the details afterward."
After Niijima was gone, Kenichi immediately turned to Shirou while freaking out.
"Shirou, this is bad. Tsukuba's not like the others. He's dangerous. You should…" Kenichi paused when he noticed the expression on Shirou's face. "Shirou?"
The expression he was making was pretty simple to figure out with a single glance, pure excitement like he couldn't wait for something to begin. "Now, it's my turn."
—
And that's the chapter. To start things off, I put more emphasis on Kenichi's training because, personally, I figured it was necessary. Since Kenichi has no talent for Martial Arts, the idea of just teaching him one move without trying it on a person, telling him the main purpose of that move, and just expecting him to win the fight with just that is not just wishful thinking. It's also stupid.
Thus I had Shirou give him more well-thought-out training and proper instruction to make Kenichi better prepared. And for the fight, I demonstrated that even though Kenichi has no talent for Martial Arts, he somehow is able to take what he learned from training and redo it perfectly in the heat of battle when he's in the right mindset, which is what makes it a capable fighter in his own way.
Now that that's been settled, the next fight will be Shirou's turn to fight. It will be his fight with Tsukuba and the beginning of his feud with Ragnarok, which will be something exciting to see.
Anyway, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. If you want more, then leave a review. If you liked the story, click the follow/favorite, and as always, have an awesome day.