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darkdevasofdestruction · 10 months

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Chapter 24 - Wǒ Qīn'ài de Húxiān Huánghòu

"Hey, babe, sorry, but I won't hold back. I'll try to keep from hitting your pretty face though. It would be a shame to hurt such a beauty." Rihito grinned flirtatiously, making Kisara gag internally. "Rihito. I'm married. You came to my wedding." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Married or not, you're still hot and I want your number." Kisara groaned in frustration, not bothering to listen to any of Mokichi's professional commentary.

As soon as the referee announced the moment to take their stance, Kisara cracked her knuckles and adopted Agito's martial arts stance, waiting. The fight began, and Rihito sprung at light speed towards the red head - Only to find himself knocked out, on the ground. For the ordinary people with no experience, it looked like some kind of magic took place - But the others cheered the fantastic win lasting less than a minute. It was a classic Hatsumi Sen win that only someone as fast as Kisara could accomplish. First, she leaned to the side, grabbing his hand, or rather, wrapping her fingers around his thumb, gripping and forcing it in an awkward angle, forcing him to his knees. Before Rihito could escape with the aid of his other hand's Razor's Edge, Kisara used Senpai's Gathering Clouds: Triple Strike move on his face, hitting the glabella, philtrum and chin with such speed that he fell on the ground, knocked out and bleeding.

Kisara smirked, doing a pretty princess courtesy towards the audience, before getting out of the ring, and back to where the manager was waiting to congratulate her, along with Jackie and Joji. She hadn't even sweat, at all - To think that what a semifinal worthy of a Kengan x Purgatory Tournament... What a disgrace! Her fight with Wakatsuki from many years ago was far more entertaining than this hilarity. As soon as she got up the stands, she double high-fived both Jackie and Joji before slumping down on her assigned seat next to the foreigner who offered her another pocky pack and a coke can, with which she clinked to everyone's beer or sake cups.

"You made that look very easy." Jackie said casually. "It is, actually!" she smiled, munching on that pocky. "It's not." he said. "It takes years of practice. How long did it it take?" "Hmm... Let's see... About four years, I think?" she pondered over. "Ah, but don't think I was in any way athletic back then! Goodness, no I-- I was pretty pathetic and weak. I was still in Uni and studying all day, barely living on coffee and a light meal per day. If it wasn't for Ohma encouraging me to get healthier, I wouldn't have gotten where I am." she scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "It took years to gain any ounce of self-confidence, control and discipline over myself. Hatsumi-Senpai helped me a lot in that regard. I used to be such an anxious little mouse before!" she giggled lightly. "But I got to do a lot of mountain hiking, which was super fun!" "You're just being modest, then. It took your Senpai years to perfect a move and learn how to teach it to you. Don't downplay your hard-work." Jackie hummed, nonchalantly drinking his beer. "You're just too nice, Jackie." she hummed. "Would you like to go hiking with us some day?" "Sure."

The second semifinal began with Koga against Ryuki, which was an exciting and thrilling match. Gaoh began with a fantastically quick footwork towards and around Koga using Setsuna's move, but Narushima was able to dodge before he got killed. Was Kiryu around, maybe? Could Ryuki be so directly influenced by Setsuna, all of a sudden? He wasn't like this a while ago, during the Kengan vs Purgatory Tournament. If Ohma finds him, an all-out war might explode. Ever since Ohma got his memories back, he's gotten so much wiser and level-headed, so grounded and calm, it was truly wholesome and heart-warming; Hence why, Kisara was almost sure that Ohma was protective over Koga, but also wanted to protect Ryuki from negative outside influence - In this case, Setsuna - Knowing he was just a child traumatised by the Inside, similar to him in many ways, but also, so very different. Tokita Niko and Gaoh Mukaku were definitely miles apart on the spectrum.

Koga looked almost helpless before Gaoh's fierce rush - Truth is, Koga wasn't tried to kill his friend, while Ryuki was actively going out of his way to assassinate him. He was dodging and evading, parrying and blocking, even a combination of Koei style Blink and Rakshasa's Palm. All of a sudden, Jackie got up abruptly. "Something wrong, Jackie?" Joji asked him, looking up at the man whilst still drinking his alcohol. "I'm gonna buy some more beer. Want me to pick up something while I'm there?" the foreigner offered. "Can I have fried offal and noodles? I swear, I could live the rest of my life on nothing but fried offal and noodles." Joji chuckled lethargically. "Are you sure you're okay, Jackie? You seem upset. Is the match boring you?" Kisara automatically got up to her feet, her hand reaching out to gently touch his biceps. Jackie looked down at her, his empty eyes boring into her beautiful green ones, and his expression subtly lightened. "Yes, I'm alright, don't worry about me." he placed his large hand over her her much smaller and delicate one. "For a fighter, you have very soft skin. It would be a shame if you got hurt." with one finger placed under her chin, he rose her face up. She was as beautiful as always, he thought, and without a second word, he left to the shop, leaving Kisara very much confused.

Meanwhile, Koga used the Indestructible, risking the Rakshasa's Palm rotation and punching Koga's face hard enough - He finally realised that the rotation is tearing apart not only the muscles, but the bones and nerves also. Poor Adam, taking the brunt of that. Even Nikaido, years ago. Thank goodness Master Gensai fought him in the next round and put him to respect, otherwise, who knows how many more people he would have almost killed. Ryuki got in a low stance before leaping up with two Air Rending Gaoh Style techniques in a row aimed at Koga's head - He combined the Gaoh style with the Koei style again, what a monster; He did the same with the Blink and the Earth-Crouching Dragon. Koga managed to land a beautiful straight to his face, sensing Ryuki fall to the ground, but he got back on his feet right away.

Koga used the Flame Kata - Raging Fire Dash, grabbing Ryuki in a low stance, and though he tried to pull the Rakshasa's Palm move twice on him, it didn't work. Koga easily figured out the spin goes from below the elbow down. He's got him all figured out. Ryuki used the Armor Clad, a technique similar to the Indestructible, to which Koga punched with with Ironbreak - Though in a twist of events, Gaoh used Swift foot, hitting Koga's torso with Setsuna's move, catching him off guard; Thankfully, the silver haired young man managed a semi-perfect Indestructible before he could get any real damage to his body.

Whatever conclusion both of them reached was unknown, for they engaged in an outright slugfest, using Armor clad and Indestructible. Koga combined the Iron Breaker with the Raging Fire, lunging at Ryuki with mad speed and strength, breaking through his defenses, sending him flying - But he went on ahead once again, smashing him with a Flashing Steel, landing a clean hit - Though his fists were massively bleeding. Ohma must be pretty pissed off that Koga hurt himself by using techniques blindly without thinking.

Who'd have thought that Ryuki would be beaten by his best friend, using his infamous Earth-Crouching Dragon uppercut strike on himself, the person he relied on the most, knocking him out instantly? Narushima Koga advances to the finals. As Kisara got up from her seat and walked towards the arena, she encountered Jackie, as if he was looking for her. He didn't bring her something to either drink or eat - In fact, he seemed to have bought nothing at all. Was he not returning to the others? Was he in a rush to leave?

"I need to leave soon." Jackie said, his hands in the pockets. "I'll look for you after you win this to say goodbye. That's what friends do, right?" Though a little clumsy, Kisara smiled at the nice thought. "Of course. I hope my match will impress you a bit more than the last one." she said, before taking his hands in her own. "But, Jackie - Are you sure you're alright? You seem really upset. Like - Really. Is something the matter?" Jackie looked down at her, squeezing her hands softly, but his expression didn't change. He looked as bored as always. "I'm fine. Worry about your match. In fact, that's why I came to find you. I thought of a way to evade any injury." Jackie said, gently taking his hands out of her hold and rummaging in the pocket of his jacket. "You said that boy knows your style, and you knows his. The solution is simple. Do what you do best." the ghost of a smile touched his handsome features. "Dance." "Dance?" the girl rose a questioning eyebrow, earning a nod from the man. "You've shown everything in fights, except your dancing. Wushu can be mastered through dancing. That boy is injured enough for you to be able to pull off a quick win." he noted, taking out a beautiful golden jade pin, ornate with flowers, and put it in her velvety carmine hair. "Achieve victory." he said in a more stern voice, turning around to leave. "And never fight again."

Kisara had no clue what happened, nor could she understand the peculiarity of her interaction with Jackie. Not only was he acting weird, but was also being overly familiar, speaking as though they knew each other for ages. But that accessory was very pretty and seemed veritable - She wasn't going to throw away a gift. Regardless, she had a match to win. She walked into the ring, and saw Wakatsuki standing next to Jerry and Sayaka at the commentator's table. "Thank you for being with us, Wakatsuki! Can you tell us what to look out for in this match?" Jerry spoke. "Well, if you ask me, Kisara's going to be a force to be reckoned with. I've fought her before, and she gave me a run for my money. That's not to say it's a sure win. Narushima's style is versatile, witty and strong." Kisara wanted to chuckle at his comment, especially as Koga was in such a battered state. The two stepped close enough to fist bump and grin at each other. "Let's do this, Kisara!" Koga said, pumped up. "Yeah, let's enjoy this fight." she stepped backwards towards her spot. "You should know by now though, I'm more of an expert in the Niko style than you can imagine." she chuckled, taking the graceful stance of a dancer, while Koga took the usual stance.

Dance - Jackie said. Alright then, let's dance for the Emperor. She smiled gracefully, knowing that her husband was watching, and as soon as the referee yelled the beginning of the fight, Kisara hummed the melody of the Lanling Prince in Battle song, performing every move that the beautiful concubine in that movie did. Though she hadn't a mask or a weapon to signify the duality of the prince, nor the war he was fighting, she twirled beautifully towards Koga, evading with ease his hits, and with the elegance of a swan, her palms struck him hard, making him reel backwards. There was not a single hit that Koga could aim - He felt as though he was fighting mist, or even the flowing water - Yet when she kicked him, she hit harder than a hurricane.

"Sorry, kid." Kisara apologised to Koga as she twirled, striking him hard in the face with an open palm hit, before doing a few pirouettes towards him, grabbing him by the chin, dragging him forwards. She then took his wrist, ducking behind him and kneeing him in the liver from behind, before twirling in front of him again, pulling him by the hand and doing a backflip, kneeing him in the diaphragm again, and graciously landing on her feet to deliver her last hit, her finishing strike: The Dragon Shot.

Koga was unconscious on the ground. "THE QUEEN OF THE KENGAN MATCHES STRIKES AGAIN! KISARA WINS!" the winner did a few beautiful moves as courtesy to the cheering audience. To think she'd actually win a tournament, isn't that hilarious? She sure had a ton of good luck. Was it an auspicious day or what? Ah, she's beat. She just wants to go home and cuddle Ohma to sleep.

She skipped out of the arena, looking for her husband. She found him, along with some others, who congratulated her. Jackie was leaning on the wall, but he came over just as Ohma pulled her in a kiss. "Well done. You fought well." the foreigner spoke in a low voice. "Now stop fighting." not only her, but Ohma and some others who weren't too drunk, or too engulfed in conversations looked at him confused. "It's a man's job to protect his woman. You had your fun. Now stay safe." "If Kisara wants to continue fighting, she will. She doesn't need anyone's protection." Ohma defended his wife's tenacity and resolve. "My wife will do whatever she wants." Jackie shared a short exchange of looks with Ohma, before his gaze fell on Kisara for the last time. Unexpectedly, he spoke one last phrase, in his mother tongue, before leaving. "Zàijiàn. Wǒ Qīn'ài de Húxiān Huánghòu." Kisara gasped, her eyes wide open, and her mouth agape. "What'd he say?" Yamashita asked, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. "I have no clue. What language was that anyway?" Ohma grunted, furrowing his brows slightly. "I think it was Chinese." the manager replied. "Kisara, did you understand what he said?" she nodded her head. "You have a weird look on your face. Did he threaten you?" "No... On the contrary." she muttered, pulling away from Ohma. "Find me outside in ten minutes, okay? I need to seek some answers." they needn't ask for words - They understood each other through looks alone.

Kisara ran after Jackie, all the way outside. She spotted his messy blond hair and she grabbed him by the elbow, stopping him from advancing further away. He hadn't turned around to face her though. "Why did you say that to me?" Kisara asked. "I don't know Chinese very well, but I can tell simple words like that." she gulped. "Farewell, my beloved Fox Empress. That's what you said, isn't it? Why did you say that to me?"

"Because that's what you've always been." he answered so nonchalantly, but somehow, Kisara felt scared like never before. She never once felt any kind of malice from Jackie - Why now? Why does she feel in danger, but also... Safe? That made no sense whatsoever. "Jackie. Do you... Know me?" she asked, feeling a shiver down her spine. "Jackie. Jackie... That's not your name, isn't it?" she bit her lip. "Jackie. Are you... Are you the 'Connector'?" The silence from the one calling himself Jackie was eerie and dangerous like nothing she's ever experienced before. "You've always been too smart for your own good. Your wisdom was wasted on a woman. Nobody listened to you." a painful sense of dread froze her heart. "They should have listened to you." Confused but also creeped out, Kisara took the pin out of her hair and analysed it. She might have known some words here and there, but she definitely couldn't read the symbols. "Am I a clone like Ohma and Ryuki, then? I couldn't be, could I? If Huisheng might have been taught and done for over a millennia... Now or then... I doubt I'd have had any worth to clone. So if that's not it, then... Then how do you know me?" "You are right. You weren't worth cloning, any more than anyone else, except for the Connector." Jackie spoke. "Are you a Buddhist?" Kisara was perplex at such a question, only to realise it made sense, in an odd way. "Are you trying to ask me if I believe in Samsara? Reincarnation?" he nodded his head. "I... I don't. Or rather, I didn't. With all this cloning and Huisheng going on, I... I'm not sure if I should let anything surprise me anymore." "I am many, though I am one. You are one, yet you are many." his phrase sounded more like a riddle than any answer. "Don't let them kill you again. Ruyi."

Kisara's eyes widened, shocked at the name she was given. "Are you trying to imply I'm Chinese?" "Once, a Princess. Now, only by thinned blood, yet with no less of the grace." whether he knew the effect his words had on her, creeping her out like that. Or, perhaps he knew, for he took a step forward, ready to leave. "Wait - Jackie!" the man did not stop; Instead, he spoke a single word before vanishing through the crowd of people, as though he was a phantasm that she imagined. "Shen", he said. Was that his true name, then? Or, at least, the one she interacted with. "Kisara." someone placing a hand on her shoulder made the woman jump in her skin with a yelp of shock. "Easy now, it's me. You were zoning out." "Ohma." Kisara breathed out shakily. "Let's go home. I need to call Katahara." "Huh? What happened?" Ohma's eyes widened in shock as Kisara threw her arms around his torso, clinging tightly onto him. "I'm still trying to figure out what happened. Let me explain while we go back home. It's... A lot to take in."

Kisara recalled the dialog and interactions she had with the man whose name may or may not be Shen truly, and she even researched the symbols on the accessory - Princess Ruyi - It said. How scary. "I want to ask Katahara and Wu Xing if they know anything about Reincarnation. I want to know how does the Connector know me, and why would he bother going out of his way to get so familiar with me. I mean, he's the head of the Worm, right? He's supposed to stay hidden, yet he went out of his way to befriend Yamashita Kazuo and Joji. He didn't hide away from you and the others either." she laid on the bed in deep thought. "He told me not to let them kill me. He told me to stop fighting. He told me my smarts were wasted on me for being a woman, because nobody listens to women." Kisara suddenly shot up in a sitting position, turning to look at her husband. "It almost sounds like the story of the Lanling Prince and his wife. She begged him not to go to war, but he went anyway, so she followed after him. Instead, the prince ended up watching his wife get killed in front of him. As she lay dying in his arms, her blood splattered all over his mask. You remember that show, don't you? Almost a hundred episodes - Though you slept through most of it anyway."

"Aren't you overthinking it? I mean, it doesn't really matter in the end, does it? Whether incarnation is true or not, you aren't connected with your past selves like the Huisheng bastards are. If you don't remember anything, it doesn't affect you." he, too, got up, cupping her face. "Whatever you were in the past doesn't matter. Right now, you are Tokita Kisara, my wife. You're a fighter because you want to, and you did a ton of things thanks to your intelligence. You've got a bunch of friends and your whole life ahead of yourself. Who cares about that guy, anyway? Besides, he had every chance to kill you, but he didn't seem hostile to you, you said; On the contrary. So even better. If the Worm head doesn't want you dead, all the best for me, I won't have to worry too much." "Since when have you gotten so wise, anyway?" Kisara climbed in his lap, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I almost don't recognise you for the stupid gym rat you were a little ago." "Shut up, you dumbass bookworm. I'm just saying - Don't bother with that guy. As long as he ain't trying to harm you, he's not our concern yet. You're worrying too much. I bet you're overthinking yourself to death now with all sorts of bullshit." Kisara offered a wry smile, feeling guilty and busted.

"Of course, you are right. I can't help but think about what he said. About all this. If the Connector dates back over a thousand years ago, well - Confucianism was a big thing in China - But then why did he ask if I was a Buddhist? Thing is - There are so many contradictions about all this. I mean - Confucianism rejected the idea of reincarnation, saying a single life was enough. The Connector is cloning himself, thus, continuing to live and relive. It's like a continuous Samsara, in a weird way, with no Nirvana. Buddhism believes strongly in rebirth until one achieves nirvana." she rested her elbow on his shoulders. "Shen said my talents were wasted on me, because I was a woman. He called me an Empress. A Princess. If we were during a Confucianism time, then the Annalects speak that women must obey their father, husband and sons after the death of the husband. Likewise, they say if a woman doesn't hold the "four virtues" - chastity, modesty in speech, neatness of appearance, and good needlework and cooking, then they aren't worthy. Women aren't important. Which would make sense with what he said." she continued with her ridiculous overthinking. "When in comes to Buddhism, I think the Sutras and the Jataka tales tend to contradict themselves. I heard that Siddhartha Gautama called equality among men and women when it comes to attaining Spiritual Awakening, but at the same time, there are writings that say women aren't allowed to become Bodhisattva and must have a good karma to be reborn as a man to have any chance of attaining nirvana, because they are seen as polluted with menstruation, sexual intercourse, death and childbirth. By this accord, I am fated to keep this Samsara cycle for an eternity, because I've sinned for centuries, and by bad karma is punishing me in this cursed body, unable to achieve Enlightening." she hummed, her eyes narrowed a little. "But then, if I was a weak, useless woman, why would I be killed? Why would he care? He's the Connector, and he admitted I'm not worth cloning, like everyone else except for him - So why does he cling to my supposed reincarnation?"

"Are you done?" Ohma had the most done with life expression on his face. "For now, I think yes." she nodded casually. "Good, because I zoned out a while ago." he scoffed, pushing her on her back on the bed. "You speak too much and I don't understand jack shit. Didn't I tell you not to use use smart words cause I don't understand? Everything you said is just a bunch of unimportant thoughts that you have, that's all. What's the point in thinking about a past you never had, when you're living in the present? Confucius and Buddha, and whatever anyone else thinks or believes in - You don't believe in any of that shit, you said that countless of times. So if you don't care about that, why the hell would you get so deep into this? Forget it." Ohma towered down over her, his long hair draping over her face, tickling her into giggling. "That's it. That's the beautiful smile I wanted to see." he placed his hands over hers, intertwining their fingers together, squeezing lightly. "You won a tournament. You made yourself proud with your hard work. You were great out there. Why go out of your way to upset yourself? We're living in the present - Remember what we talked about on the island? We're creating our own lives. Together." Kisara smiled sweetly, feeling her eyes sting with emotion, small tears slowly escaping at the corners and streaming down. "You have no idea how much I love you, Ohma. There's no one in this world that could understand me like you do. I'm so lucky to have you in my life." he simply chuckled, leaning down to capture her sweet lips in a tender kiss. "I love you, Kisara."

Days passed since the tournament, and with that, Ryuki's departure back home, to his grandpa in the Inside. Problem was, the summer ended, and with it, so did the connection with the boy. He was nowhere to be found. Of course, everyone worried over him and together with Retsudo, they formed a rescue party, adding Himuro and Rei, who would be great additions. Along with the manager, they gathered at Katahara's home, around a large map that depicted the map of the Inside based on satellite photography and statements from the residents. The GPS tracker placed on Ryuki had stopped responding around Rhoza district, so something must have happened around there. The change of the borders was always changing though, so they must have probably already shifted drastically.

Rei had been on a job there before, at the border of Rhoza - Apparently, Himuro was from there also originally. They say they keep putting up new buildings and apartments where there were roads the previous day, so it's a real mess to deal with. Ryuki was lost somewhere in the middle of the map, which was not a part of Rohza anymore, but a contested territory by all districts around. They were walking in the middle of a turf war. Not great.

Yamashita Kazuo remembered Ohma mentioning having a villa in Shiki, and he though he must have travelled diagonally, from one end of the Inside, to the other. Of course, that wasn't the case, he wasn't suicidal - He went outside the borders, taking refuse in Shiki when things got to shit in Tokita.

While they were discussing a plan, Koga had left to see the border with the Inside, trying to convince himself and find his courage and resolve to join them in their venture in hell. He even got to see a Seki vs Naoya fight, to which he was told a lot of encouraging words - Finally, he was ready to go.

They were leaving on the morrow. Himuro would be leading them through Rohza and Rei would accompany them until they reached the disputed territory. They'll need a guide through the disputed territory though - Retsudo seemed to already have someone in mind though, so things were good. Clearly, he was in it to get more info on the Worm - Smart boy. He'll become a fantastic chairman, just like Katahara was.

Before they left, Kisara, Ohma and Koga went over to Masaki at Toyo corp to retrieve their reports on the Inside - Surveys made by his supposed father were made from two years prior and what not. "Are you sure you want to come?" Ohma turned to Kisara, checking one last time. "Of course. I want to rescue Ryuki as much as everyone. Besides - I want to stay by your side, remember? I don't want a sudden repeat of a few years ago. Someone has to keep you safe, right?" she winked at him playfully, holding his hand. "A'ight, Your Majesty, protect me." Ohma chuckled as they traversed the thick wall corridor that led to the Inside, a desolate place abandoned by God like no other.

It almost felt as if they weren't in Japan anymore, with bazaars and black markets everywhere, soldiers, refugees, merchants, vendors and everything else you'd think of. Weirdly enough, Ohma seemed to be grinning, reminiscing about Tokita Ward. Weirdo. They went to search for some lodging for the night, in the biggest dump in the entire world - Kisara wanted to tear her hair apart from disgust, but she signed herself up for it. Well, at least she won't stay too long in this shithole - And Ohma led her and Koga to eat some pretty damn good ramen, though she didn't want to know what it was made of. He told Ohma that he wanted Koga to come over because the Niko style originated here, and he wants him to inherit Niko style wholly... But he said it in such a creepy way. "So if something happens to me..." he said, making both Koga and Kisara slam their hands on the table, protesting. "You're making it sound like you're dying!!" they both yelled at him. "You know about me and Ryuki, don't you? We're somebody's clones, and that somebody is after us. Anything could happen. That's why I wanna teach you what I learned from Niko, like I taught Kisara, while I still have the chance." Ohma's voice was so stern and somber that Kisara hit him in the head with the spoon. Hard. "If you even think about dying on me a second time, I'll never forgive you." she hissed at him. "I won't let him die, don't worry." the eerie voice of none other than Kiryu Setsuna made them all snap their gaze at him as he sat down next to Ohma - So close that he made him visibly uncomfortable. "Can you not make my husband cringe from how uncomfortable he is?" Kisara sighed, defeated. "Instead, tell us about Ryuki. I know you had your hand in making a killer out of him and losing his mind in the process."

"Ah, yes, we exterminated Worms together." he spoke so nonchalantly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Well, it sort of was, in a way - For them, at least. "FUCK YOU!" Koga howled, grabbing Setsuna by the neck of the shirt. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU MADE RYUKI LIKE THAT!" he continued shaking him violently. "Koga, calm down, you're attracting unwanted attention to us." Kisara coughed, looking around at the prying eyes. "Don't misunderstand me, Narushima. I never once ordered Ryuki to do anything." he said it was the same thing as what Ohma's doing, passing on his legacy to him. "Ryuki's going through a dilemma right now. He's between a rock and a hard place." "Is it about his grandpa's teachings, and Koga's resolve of not killing?" Kisara asked, earning an empty smile from the man. "You've got it right." he nodded. "I last saw him the day before he went back to the Inside. Ryuki said he'd come back right after that, but he's still not back yet - So I came to the Inside to look for him." "You said Mukaku's got safehouses all over the place?" Ohma asked, interested in Setsuna's knowledge. "Yeah, seems he made a lot of enemies. Ryuki said he had around twenty places and that's just as far as he knew. Ryuki's GPS tracker has stopped moving for the past few days, before stopping responding entirely." Setsuna explained simply, though he did seem a bit worried for his pupil also. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Kisara had to shove Koga back down on his seat to make him stop overreacting. "There's a good chance that Ryuki's found Gaoh Mukaku, and that he's in trouble." Setsuna got up from the table. "Wait, you think Ryuki's grandpa would hurt him?" the woman's eyes widened in realisation. Kiryu shrugged vaguely. "I'm going to look for Ryuki on my own. The Worm's in the Inside too. We need to find Mukaku before they do - Otherwise, they'll kill him." so it's the Worm they should be worried about. Then, could the Connector also...?

Early in the morning, while Himuro and Rei were up and ready for a high-level spar, a messenger came over with an invitation from the General, a soldier named Zhang who was buddy buddies with Himuro. To offer than a guide, one of them had to defeat one of his men - So Retsudo offered, getting in a Silat stance that Misasa would be proud of, and going forward for a few feint jabs - And when the enemy pulled out his knife, Retsu�� took his small hand-knife, stomping on his foot and slashing the enemy well, hitting all his vitals. What a beast, and he's so young also! And so cocky, teasing the enemy into attacking blindly - He easily parried a punch with his elbow twice, before slicing at his face and destroying him. No wonder he's about the only one capable of coming between Ohma and Raian when they're fighting.

Kisara clapped at the cool young man. "That was awesome, Retsu, well done! Misasa would be so proud of you!" Ohma, also, praised and high-fived him. Out of nowhere, this creepy, bandaged up guide appeared - So fast and silent that not even Rei sensed him. What a monster. He guided them through the district, towards the Underground, all the way out, in the disputed territory. Somewhere along the lines, Rei and the guide stopped, defeating one of the White Worms who reported directly to the head.

They found an abandoned temple looking rather run down yet still standing. As they walked up to it, they got attacked by someone, the main target being Ohma. Damn it, not again, Kisara thought, realising that her husband was always the prime target for everyone in the world. Gaoh Mukaku was glaring at them, holding a meat cleaver and claiming they were Worms. Thankfully, Koga ended up explaining everything. "Wait, you mean you're not Worms?! You should've said so sooner!" "You jumped us before we could even say anything!!! What the fuck were we supposed to do, you old coot?!" speak about a short-temper, Koga. Was it the youth? Nah, Retsu was calm. Maybe a fire sign? "Are you sure this is our guy?" Himuro sweat dropped at the childishness of the old man. "Yeah... No doubt about it. This old man is Gaoh Mukaku." Retsudo's voice was low, sending a tremor down Kisara's spine. This Mukaku was creeping her out. "That's MR. Mukaku to you, whipper-snapper!" Mukaku growled at him. "Is that really him? Are we so sure that this isn't Okubo's grandpa?" Koga glared at the old man. "Who's this Okubo? And that sounds like a slight against this Okubo fella if I ever heard one." Mukaku glared back at the child. "Well, sorry for stopping by unannounced. See, we're here in the Inside looking for Ryuki." Ohma finally attracted the conversation in the right direction. "Ohh, you're friends of Ryuki's? Well, Ryuki was here. I can tell you that much. He dropped by here about a week ago. I've got a couple Safehouses in the Inside, so I reckon he had a tough time tracking me down." Mukaku explained. "Is Ryuki still here?" Ohma asked straight forward. "Nope, he ain't here no more. You just missed him." Kisara didn't believe a word he was saying. "Do you have any ideas of where Ryuki might've gone?" Retsu asked.

"You wouldn't happen to be Metsudo's grandson, would you?" Mukaku was trying to divert the conversation again. "I'm his youngest son. We need to take Ryuki into our protection as soon as possible." Retsu tried to return to the point. "Ohh, you're Metsudo's son, no wonder I saw the resemblance." he stroke his beard, only for his eyes to bulge and start screaming. "Wait, SON?! What kind of stallion IS he?!" Kisara groaned, slapping a hand over her face. "DON'T FUCKING CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Koga yelled at him, frustrated with his senile behaviour. "Hmm... Take him into your protection, eh? Well, he doesn't need any of that. I've trained him real good." he sat down, lighting up a pipe to smoke. "Are you crazy?! The Worm's not messing around here!" Koga yelled again at him. "Oh, I know. Ryuki and I have been hard at work, exterminating the Work. I let Ryuki fight in the Kengan matches just so the Worm could find him. Ryuki is indispensable to the Worm, so I reckoned they'd send their top men after him. See - Ryuki's a clone of this So-Called Connector that the Worm Worships." Kisara felt the blood freeze in her veins, and she turned her head to look at her husband. She couldn't see the resemblance though. Was she just awful with faces? It wasn't wrong, she could never tell apart family members based on their common features.

Kisara felt a little lost in her own mind again - She was zoning out a little, thinking of what Mukaku might know that could make her piece together some lost puzzle pieces. He knows of the Connector - Does he know him personally? And if yes, could it be possible to know any of her past incarnations? Gah, she can't believe she fell so deep into this ridiculous theory that she doesn't even believe in. That man messed with her mind big time. Rei said he took out a White Worm - If the officer was here, could the Big Boss be here, also?

Mukaku began a story of his youth, from many decades ago when he got in the Inside and took some students in to teach and conquer the place. Though he took a whole crowd of students, only seven of them could keep up - The Seven Nikos. He also confirmed everyone's inkling that the Inside was created by the Worm - The Inside was a huge ass Gu Ritual chamber, like what Agito had to go through, poor man. Kisara couldn't help but shudder, imagining going through that at such a frail age.

The Seven Nikos, however, began killing each other in the forest where they took a trip, until only two remained - Four, which was Ohma's Master, and Six, the Other Tokita Niko who taught Setsuna. Five and Six claim to had recently defected to the Worm, hence why they betrayed Mukaku - But who knows how true is that, really? Six used Five as an experiment anyway, so he was very much dead to this day. Mukaku continued to go around the country, destroying Worm Bases, until he found baby Ryuki, whom he adopted - Though he claims he didn't know he was the Connector's clone at the time.

With the story over, everyone went outside. Himuro and Ohma were discussing the story while Koga and Mukaku were chopping wood. Kisara stepped over to Retsudo, making a sneaky little plan, involving calling out Mukaku's veritable lies. At some point, Himuro got a got and left. When they were done, they walked over to the old man. "Ryuki has just been taken into our custody." Retsudo said with a straight face. Nothing ever betrayed his emotions. The shock of such a notion tricked Mukaku into turning his head in a direction - The direction where he was keeping Ryuki captive, no doubt. "You haven't killed him yet, I see." caught in his own lie. "His response just confirmed it, Ryuki's still somewhere on the premises, isn't he?" "I said he ain't HERE no more." the old man scoffed in annoyance. "Give it up, old man. It's too late." Ohma warned him. "Wh-What the hell are they talking about, gramps?! Is Ryuki really here?!" Koga screamed at him in disbelief. "I had my doubts about you, all along. From the moment you attacked Ohma, I had my doubts about you. I thought you attacked him because you mistook him for the Connector - But you didn't, did you? You tried to kill Ohma because you mistook him for Ryuki." Retsudo called him out. "Pesky little bugger. I knew I should've killed you when I had the chance." Mukaku growled menacingly. "Where is Ryuki? Tell us now." Ohma spoke sternly. "I don't know." he shrugged, sitting on a log. "But you do, don't you, you filthy Worm?" Kisara smiled enigmatically. "Yes, look at me. Get a good look at me. You know me too, don't you? The Connector told me all about you. Ah - Or, maybe I should say - Shen told me about you?" the aggressive look in his face as she provoked him made her feel small and terrified, but she masked it well enough. "You have no idea how much I want to see your pretty face contorted with fear and agony as you die in that fucker's arms. Over and over again. I get off on that every time I remember." Kisara felt a shudder down her spine, and she stepped backwards, behind Ohma. Retsudo saved her from Mukaku's wrath, telling the story of the Gaoh Style hoax, and that Gaoh Mukaku actually never existed, but that he was a Remnant of Wowang - The last of the five of the Syndicate to keep alive. Mukaku accepted that he was found out eventually, but wouldn't tell them where Ryuki was. Instead, he got up, stepping menacingly towards them. "I don't think you'd want to fight us, Mukaku. It doesn't matter whether you're a Worm or not. Shen is here, looking for Ryuki as much as we do. And you know what? If he finds out you've cause me any harm, well - It won't end up well for you, will it?" Kisara tried to threaten him, hoping he'd be afraid - He wasn't. He smirked instead. Shit, she only made things worse. He took a weird stance, and so did Retsu and Ohma. "I don't think your words are going to scare him, Kisara. Stay back." Retsu warned her as him and Ohma cautiously took their own stances - Only for Koga to lunge headfirst like a dumbass. Lucky him, Ohma saved him before getting fatally struck by a demon wheel, whilst Retsu went on ahead, slashing away quickly with his knife, but it didn't work. With his Adamantine Kata, Mukaku threw an Ironbreaker punch towards Metsudo's son; Ohma was there to shield him with Indestructible, but the two got thrown away. It was only Kisara left standing.

"Oh shit." she wasn't sure what to do - If Ohma couldn't fight him, she had not even the slightest chance of touching him. Running, though, as good as it sounded... Where could she go? Back to the Underground, maybe? "You're not afraid of Shen, are you?" she sweatdropped, hoping to stall him. For a single second, she actually prayed for the Connector to come over and beat him to death for threatening her like this. "Afraid of him? Ha! I'm gonna rip him to shreds! But before I do that, I'm gonna kill you in front of him - His face watching you die is otherworldly! It's the sweetest revenge I've got!" he lunged at her, making Kisara squeak, terrified, and duck under his arm to run around and evade his hits. To think she'd use her dancing agility and flexibility to learn Wushu moves and save herself from a fucking behemoth. Insane. Absolutely insane.

She should have remained in her bed.

"Stop dancing around, Princess, it ain't gonna save you. I know your tricks - I've already seen you die four times in my life!" Kisara turned to look at him in shock - Four times? How old is he? And not only that, how young was she that she died and was reborn four fucking times? "Hey, I know I'm pretty, but I don't wanna die young, okay? Gimme a break!" she yelped as she got caught by the end of her swishing long hair, and with a rough tug, Mukaku grabbed her and slammed her into the ground so hard that she thought her spine shattered to dust. Dust to Dust. Pulvis et Pulvis. From the dirt we are born, and to the dirt we return. Fuck this. "You're just a woman. No matter how strong you are, you can't compare to me. Not even Shen Wulong could save you." as Kisara was struggling to breath through the pain, forcing her vision to unblur, she saw the outline of a fist coming down hard, aiming at her solar plexus. Despite the vertigo, she quickly rolled over and snatched her hair pin, using it as a small dagger which she slammed into his face, slashing it diagonally, blood splashing around - Though he didn't seem phased, the accessory was in shambles on the ground, drowning in her blood.

"I don't need Shen Wulong to save me! I only need Ohma! Fuck off away from me, you psycho! I've got nothing to do with any of this!" she managed to evade and run back to the group, stumbling over her feet and coughing blood in her palms. "Kisara, go with Retsudo. I'll hold him off for you." with a shared look between the two lovers, Kisara begrudgingly agreed and ran with Retsudo and Koga in the direction indicated by Himuro who had contacted them. "Well, at least he said The Connector's name. If that is even it." Kisara muttered, still in pain.

They arrived at Himuro's location, at a small storehouse - Ryuki must be in the conspicuous cellar. As soon as they opened the doors and went down the stairs, the horrible stench of rot, death and decay made them all feel nauseous to hell. "What's that stench...?" Retsudo growled. "It's a deeply ingrained smell of rot. I doubt this was recent." Himuro noted. "I pity Ryuki if he's really here, having to endure this." Kisara hissed in disgust. "I think I'm gonna throw up." Koga almost hurled, but a single look up, and he saw his friend, shackled up and barely conscious. "You're kidding, right? Does that mean this smell is..." with the fire from the lighter, they saw countless bones, as if the whole cellar was made out of cadavers. Awful.

As Kisara checked for Ryuki's vitals, Mukaku led Ohma to the cellar, promising not to attack again. He affirmed that he was a member of the Wowang Syndicate, and it originated from the Worm. Wowang's leader, Dage, was an aide to the Head of the Worm. Dage went independent from the Worm on the Head's orders and formed a commando unit called Wowang. With this happening over 80 years prior, well - The old man was surely over a century old. No wonder he claims to have seen her die so many times. Wowang's purpose was to crush any organization opposing the Worm, and they were so strong that the leader got the ambition of a King and wanted to crush the Head. He began plotting to get rid of the Head of the Worm, and the absolute ruler of the Worm - The Connector, Shen Wulong.

"So Shen Wulong is the original we were copied from?" Ohma asked. "I'm not sure. You and Ryuki are almost like twins, but... You saw Shen yourself, he doesn't look all that much like you guys. Though maybe that's because he's blond and keeping his hair tied." Kisara thought out loud. "Tell us more about that. Who is the Connector anyway, and why does the Worm follow him?" Retsudo asked the right questions. "Nobody knows how long he's been around." he continued speaking of an old tale about a safe living deep in the mountains of China since the age of myths. The locals believe him immortals, most likely because all of his descendants have taken the name of Shen Wulong. This sage presumably was mostly harmless and barely interacted with people, though on rare occasions, an 'Aberrant individual' emerged, he says. Around 1300 years ago, when the Connector declared war on the Worm, he defeated the then-Head and brought the Worm under his control. He then started a total war with the Wu clan, who were long-tine antagonists of the Worm. They say he beat them decisively. To think that the Worm and the Connector have been going for so many centuries insane - Nothing ever lasted this long.

"So did the Wu split up 1300 years ago because they lost to the Connector?" Ohma asked, pondering. "I don't know what he was thinking. He might've even thought he was bringing God's wrath on the people who annoyed him - So we began getting ready to kill a God." Mukaku continued to speak of an ace in the hole - The Advance, the Possessing Spirit, was based on this thing. They waited for the moment when the Connector was alone to ambush him in an alleyway, but with undeniable ease and grace, the Connector created an outright bloodbath. A one-sided massacre. He swatted down the Five Kings like flies. With Mukaku being the only survivor, he fled to Japan, changed his name and the whole things with the Nikos went on, and he even did Gu Rituals and what not.

"You knew Ryuki was a clone, didn't you? That's why you took him in." Kisara pointed out. "Yeah, of course. The current Shen Wulong is a clone of his predecessor. The Worm's been engaging in cloning research, in order to make a more perfect 'Connector'. I attacked a Worm cloning research facility and destroyed it. For whatever reason, most attempts to clone Shen Wulong ended in failure. There haven't been any new clones since I destroyed that facility. Which means that Ryuki is the last existing clone. Funny, right? They'll want Ryuki back at any cost. That's why I sent Ryuki to the Kengan Association and had him announce his location to them. Thanks to him, I can kill Shen Wulong this time around! He's made the perfect bait!" though Mukaku was smug, it was Kisara's turn to laugh at him mockingly, all while Koga was so angry that he was trying to punch the old man.

"You? Beat Shen? Ha! Prostrating King, you say - You're nothing but an old man who wants revenge, that's what you are. Shen's going to swipe the floor with you. Oh - Maybe it is that you get off on being beaten up by him, huh? Is that it?" she taunted him - He deserved it after the pain he caused her. "You little shit..." the man growled, glaring down at her. Ohma had to hold Koga back before he'd overheat from intense rage and bust his fists again. "Grandpa... You... Were you just using me...?" Ryuki's betrayed voice made Kisara's heart weep. "Huh? Why else would I keep you around?" the disgust and indifference in his voice earned him a punch in the face from Kisara, who went then to boy to hold him in her arms as if he was her child. "The only reason you're still alive today is 'cause you're the clone of the Connector. That piece of shit wants you back no matter what. Then again, I find it hard to believe - How can a weakling like you be one of his clones, huh? What a failure the last clone turned out to be."

"Look at yourself. You've been alive for a century and still can't get anywhere near Shen's level. Pathetic." Kisara hissed at him harshly. "I understand. You're not my grandpa anymore." Ryuki spoke, defeated, feeling the woman's arms holding him in warm and loving embrace like he's never experienced in his entire life. As they helped the boy get out of the cellar, Ryuki told them how his grandpa punched him out of nowhere, imprisoning him in hopes of re-educating him. What a mad man. As they were discussing about what happened, Ohma spoke about wanting to get the hell away from that god-awful place. Though he's seen plenty of strong people, his power was unfathomable and he doesn't want anything to do with him ever again. "Oh, wait - Can you wait a second? I hair pin - It fell to the ground back at the temple. Do you mind if I go quickly to retrieve it?" Kisara stopped abruptly in her tracks. "Are you sure? You can get another. It's dangerous around that bastard." Ohma warned her, though he could see the conflict in her eyes. "You're not returning for the pin, are you?" "I have a weird feeling in my gut. Does that make sense?" Ohma sighed, nodding his head. "Alright, fine. We'll wait here, but don't take long. If you're not back in 10, I'm coming over for you." Kisara grinned, kissing his cheek. "I'll back before 10."

----

If only they knew that just as they were escaping, none other than Shen Wulong visited this damn fraud, looking as calm as ever. "Gaoh Mukaku. I want you to give 'Me' back." Shen ordered leisurely. "You nitwit, you're too late. I got rid of your clone a long time ago. My condolences!" Mukaku cackled at him tauntingly. "You're lying." Shen affirmed. "That's not the kind of man you were in my memories. You wouldn't get rid of a bargaining chip for no reason. You'd use any means at your disposal to survive. I remember you well. You used your comrades as shields just so you'd survive. I'm somewhat impressed by how attached to life you are."

"Haha, guess you really love me, huh? But now I'm just the fraud founder of a phony martial art. But what's wrong with being a fraud? I don't give a damn who I am, as long as I can kill you!" Mukaku laughed, bumping the ends of his arm guards. "Is that so?" Shen sighed, crouching to the ground and picking up the broken hair accessory from the ground. The ornaments on it were scattered in the blood, but it was nothing that couldn't be repaired. Though he wasn't one to get emotional, Shen felt rather pissed off. "You're going to die." he said, comparing himself to the immune system of a single large organism. "I can hear the earth telling me to eliminate you."

Mukaku thought he slashed in two at the Connector, he missed entirely without him even moving at all. He tried multiple tricks, activating booby traps planted throughout the temple, using swift assassination methods, but Shen threw him of with the flick of a single finger. "You're strong, I admit. I assume only a handful of the people close to me would be able to beat you." Mukaku hid inside the temple. "Hey, I haven't finished complimenting you yet. The first backhand punch was a good move. You drew my attention to your gauntlets while throwing iron pellets at me, and those were pretty powerful. They could kill a man if they landed right." he said nonchalantly, not bothering to move an inch. "Splintering the wall to blind me was a good move, too. Personally, I would've thrown in a few iron pellets in the splinters - If they landed, that's a few free hits." Mukaku was angry beyond belief. "You pretended you'd face me with martial arts only to use hidden weapons, duck and hide, sneak around and scheme. You were prepared for me, weren't you? I admire your tenacity."

Through the thin wall of the temple, Mukaku tried to impale Shen with a lance - The tip of it, of course, was pinched easily between his fingers. "Very meticulous. You should be long past your physical prime by now. I assume you're doping to make up for your declining muscles and reflexes, aren't you? It's a miracle that you're alive at your age." he spoke simply. "But that is one fortune that Ruyi was never blessed with." Mukaku could feel his heart stop in fear. He fucked up. "No, no, don't worry, it's not just for today, but for every time you hurt her, that I'm going to enjoy playing with you." Mukaku was unable to say a single thing, watching how easy it was for the Connector to pinch the blade away. "Ah, just so we're clear, I don't have Superman Syndrome. This isn't about power, it's about technique. One second thought, maybe even that's not the right word either. Principles? Yeah sounds right - All I'm doing is holding down the point of the force - Anyone can do that if they know how it works. No, wait, maybe Ruyi couldn't. I wouldn't want her to cut her delicate hands. She always gets papercuts." he hummed out of nowhere, as the long handle of the spear broke, and he smirked. "I'm so angry that I want to play with you a bit longer. I'll give you the chance to kill me."

He's just getting more and more dangerous, Mukaku realised, freaking out - What the hell kind of monster is he anyway? "Hmm, will this do?" Shen hummed, cracking his fingers. "I've relocated my tendons and suppressed my muscle power output. I also limited my joints' range of motions. I brought my neuro-transmission speed down to the lowest setting and shut down some of my brain's circuits." Shen smiled, ready to destroy the man before him. "I've come down to your level. Let me enjoy this moment. Don't die yet, okay?" with that, Shen punched Mukaku the hell away from him. Mukaku tried again to get up and attack, but was struck down with a simple arm sweep. "Too slow. Your body's awfully sluggish - You're almost not worth killing. Are these your senses in action? They must be a real handicap." Mukaku kicked a loose board from the ground, hitting Wulong in the chin and trying to beat him down into the ground with the Ironbreaker, only to get sent flying by the man who easily liberated himself. "Not bad, not bad at all, Mukaku." Shen smirked, wiping the blood off his face. "You wanna have another go? Or should I end this already?" he dug his hands in his pockets once again. "Hmm, I'm picking up an exceptional hatred from you - Shouldn't that be the other way around? I know what you've done today. But choice, really." he hummed, not twitching a single muscle. "Maybe you hate my former self for killing your comrades in Wowang? But I thought they were just total strangers to you." "Before that. Dig a little deeper into you memories." Mukaku struggled to speak between his panting. "Hmmm~?" after a few seconds of deep thinking and pondering, Wulong finally gasped theatrically with a lightbulb realisation. "You're that boy!" Mukaku's vendetta against Shen Wulong started in China, about 85 years ago.

The Connector once had three groups under his command - The Worm, the Westward Faction and the Dragon Tribe, who were descendants of Long Min, the Hero of the Chu Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn period. They were friends, sharing the same name of the dragon, yet Shen Wulong felt betrayed. Long Yi disagreed with the Worm research involving the cloning - Though he didn't mind the Huisheng reincarnations. Cloning is a violation of the natural order, a heresy. Shen Wulong didn't want to kill his friend - All of the Dragon Tribe was already dead. Of course, the old friend wasn't going to retreat, that was the way of the general. He allowed Long Yi to attack while his back was turned, but just like the others, he fell dead, to the ground, with a single strike. In spite of his quick death, Long Yi managed to leave Wulong's first injury in years. The only man left standing was Long Xiu, a young warrior of 15 years old, who would later be known as Gaoh Mukaku. Long Xiu was Long Yi's grandson. It was then that the current Shen Wulong realised that the Wowang Syndicate conspired against him, all instigated by Mukaku.

"Yi was a good man, but he made one mistake - He didn't kill a bastard like you." Mukaku attacked him with the Long clan secret technique, Dragon's Maw Fist, but of course, it did nothing. "Awe, man, you're a real two-timer." "Oh shut up, fuck-wit!! I'd turn to the Gods and the Demons if they'd help me kill you!!" Mukaku growled at him. "Aaaaand you've lost me. I've had enough of this." Shen rolled his eyes, bored out of his mind with his repetitive antics. All of a sudden, a rustle was heard, and a few soft footsteps followed. "Hey, psycho geezer, did you steal my pin? I know I used it to slash your face, but - You've gotta hand it to me, it's your fault you attacked me! I just defended myself! ... My spine still hurts like hell though. If I need spine surgery because of you, I'll sue you for ten generations." Shen's eyes widened, and he turned his head to see the beautiful young woman struggling to step through the rubbles of the destroyed temple. As soon as she rose her head to look for the old man, she saw not only him, but Shen also - The shock and fright were evident on her face, and she looked like a deer surrounded by predators. "I... Should not have returned. I, uh... I-... I'll leave. Bye!" panicked, she tried to leave the temple immediately - She was, thankfully, just at the entrance, though even there, she unknowingly stepped on a trap that would be slashed her to fish-bite pieces, were it not for a strong force tackling her to the ground. "Sh-Shen...?" she gulped, feeling his strong arms keeping her safe and shielded from danger. Looking up, she saw the overly sharp piano wires that would have easily cut her in pieces as if she was a Happy Tree Friends character. "Oh my god, you psycho, what the hell is this?! You almost killed me - Again!" her body's reaction was to spring away from Wulong's arms and run the hell away - But he didn't let her.

"I can't believe my bait returned willingly. You thought yourself smart, but you died a fucking dumbass each and every time. It's your fault you died, you know? And his, for not protecting you." Mukaku put on a gas mask and readied his sword. "I almost shattered your spine, and you return for a hair pin? Ha! You deserve to die, woman." Kisara squeaked in fear as Mukaku, with incredible swiftness, brought down the sword, ready to slash her and Shen where they stood - But somehow, defying the laws of physics was a regular thing for the Connector, who kept her safe, held by one arm to his chest, his hand placed over her mouth and nose as if to prevent her from breathing, while the other hand caught the blade. "Terrible decision, really." Shen glared at Mukaku. "Not even close." "Yeah, you're right - But this should do the trick!" Mukaku used Indestructible on the blade, cutting Wulong's hand into bleeding. "Shen - You're bleeding! Let go of the blade!" Kisara managed to speak through his fingers.

"Don't worry about me. Try to keep from breathing as much as you can. This cheap bastard flooded the room with Carbon Monoxide. It's just one thing after another." as instructed, Kisara picked up the handkerchief from her sleeve and pressed it to his face to help him with the breathing."Very kind of you - But I'm fine. I don't need to breathe. Use it for yourself, Ruyi." Shen told Mukaku that the man who killed his clan was his previous iteration, and some illogical shit about stopping the breathing process, to slow the aging process. He then easily got up, throwing away the sword and kicking him in the face. "Did you seriously think you could outdo us? How asinine." Shen used the sword to impale Mukaku's shoulder. "Running away? You don't have that privilege anymore. I told you - I've grown tired of you." "Are you sure you wanna kill me?! If I die, Ryuki dies too! I'm the only one who knows where he is! Are you just gonna let yourself die?!" Mukaku spat, desperate to live. "Ryuki's safe with us! Stop lying, you jerk!" Kisara soon started coughing - The Monoxide was beginning to take effect. "How come you're so obsessed over Ryuki anyway?! Ain't Tokita Ohma one of your clones too?! Why does it gotta be Ryuki?!" Mukaku was, no doubt, trying to prolong his suffering. "Hey, don't you dare bring my husband into this! He already died once, I don't need you getting him in another situation, you bastard!" Kisara hissed at him. "Besides - Don't act as if you ever cared for Ryuki! You're just an evil man. A traitor." "Oh man. Yan's gonna give me hell for everything I've done lately. Well - You're gonna be dead anyway, so there's no harm in telling you!" Shen sighed in realisation. "W-Wait! Don't say it! I don't want to die because of his curiosity!" the woman stepped backwards, gulping slightly. "...Don't worry. I don't think you'd get it, even if I told you." he smiled condescendingly down at Mukaku. "Tokita Ohma... Is not me." "HUH?!" Mukaku was on the ground, bleeding heavily. "Wait, hold the GODDAMN PHONE! What the hell are you talking about?! You can't expect me to believe that bullshit! I mean - Have you seen the guy?! He's the spitting image of Ryu...?!" Gaoh gasped loudly, as Shen was vibing with a dark, killing aura. "Yeah, I think you've figured it out by now." with an effortless swing of his wrist, Shen snapped Mukaku into pieces. "So die." Kisara had to jump back behind Shen, so all the blood wouldn't splatter on her. "Three times. You're the first person who's made three attempts on my life, and on Ruyi's. Looks like third time wasn't the charm, after all."

Shen turned around, throwing away the blade, looking down at the woman who looked uncomfortable and outright fearing him. "Ruyi." he called out, before quickly correcting himself. "No, sorry - You're called Kisara now, right? Kisara. I won't mistake it again." he gently put a finger under her chin, raising it up to make her look at him. "What do you see?" Though he could see the fear in her eyes, there was also deep confusion, and he couldn't blame her. There were far too many things to find out, in a single day, out of which few made sense. "I still don't think you look like Ohma at all." the comment earned a small huff of amusement from him. "So... Are you going to kill me, now that I know your secret about Ohma?" Shen didn't say anything - Instead, he retriever the pin from his pocket, along with all the broken accessories. "Did it save you?" Though Kisara had no idea why he'd change the subject like that, she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. I... I used your name to get a rise out of him, hoping he'd tell us where Ryuki was without a fight. But, uhm... He threatened to use me as bait and kill me in front of you. For the... Fifth time, he said. Or, uh... Maybe he just meant he knew I died four times during his life. I'm not sure. He was weird." he uncomfortably scratched the back of her neck. "I was weak. I couldn't evade his attacks and he grabbed me. Slammed be to the ground, tried to punch my guts out. Before he could though, I slashed away at his face and ran away." she hung her head down, feeling guilty looking at the beautiful yet broken accessory. "I'm sorry. I know it must have meant a lot for you, and I broke it." "A pin isn't worth more than your life, silly girl." he spoke with an amused tone. "I'll just get it repaired and return it. It's yours, not mine."

"But, Shen - It means nothing to me. Ruyi means nothing to me. Maybe you believe that it's my reincarnation, in the real sense, not the Huisheng sense - But even so, you're the only one who knows of Ruyi, and... All my supposed past selves." she explained softly. "That could be solved. I remember every incarnation you had - Or at least those who managed to live past a certain age. Unfortunately, there weren't all that many." Kisara looked down, feeling a weird pang of pain in her chest. "I have to go, Shen. I'm sorry." she looked into his eyes. "I will accept the pin, if you want me to have it... And I'll keep the secret to myself, even though I didn't understand it at all. I don't want to die, but more than that, I don't want Ohma, nor my friends to die." she sighed, extending her hand towards him. "But Shen - I am married. And I love Ohma more than I love life itself." Instead of looking or even emanating anger or any negative emotion, Shen smiled, placing the pin in her hand, closing it for her. "As long as you're happy."

A loud gasp of complete and utter shock resounded through the desolated temple, and a man who looked similar, but much prettier than Xia Ji was looking at the two with huge eyes. Realising he was someone strong and important to the Worm, Kisara instinctively tried to step away, only for her back to his Shen's.

"What's wrong, Yan? Cat got your tongue?" Shen asked, oblivious. "Oh, come on, gimme a break! How'd you get injured?!" this Yan crumbled to the ground, having a mental crisis. "Something weighing you down?" Shen asked, even more confused. "You are, you moron." Yan groaned pitifully. "U-Uhm... Mr. Yan?" Kisara spoke in a mousy voice. "Shen got injured because of me. Forgive me." she crouched to his level, putting a gentle hand on his arm and helping him up. "After all the shit he's pulled over the years, this is how he ends up. Pathetic." that man, the Other Tokita Niko, gruffed at Mukaku's corpse. "Oh no, what have you done?! What's with her?!" Yan's overreaction made her step back away from him again. "Uhm... I-I think I should get going." she stole a look at the Connector, seeking permission to get the hell away from there. "Yeah, sure. Take care." Kisara didn't need another word, she was already rushing away - Only for a man looking around her age or younger, with the obvious Kure eyes, blocked her exit, towering over her. A lankier man, just like him, trailed just behind. "Gilbert, what crawled up Yan's ass and died?" so this was Gilbert Wu. Kisara felt surrounded by what seemed to be the whole Small Council of the Connector, as if she was in Game of Thrones or something. She looked at Shen again, waiting for him to give the signal for Gilbert to step away from the exit so she could bolt off. "Ah, yeah - I know this really good jeweller for that pin. He should repair it in a week or so." "Lovely!" Kisara forced a smile. "I, uh -- See ya!" she bolted the hell away.

Thankfully, on the way back, she met Ohma who was already rushing her way. "No questions. Let's run the hell away. I'll tell you when we get out of the Inside. My brain is imploding." Ohma blinked, perplex, but questioned nothing. "Fine. Let's go."

Thankfully, they managed to get the hell away from this awful place, and while Retsu and Himuro took care of Ryuki, while Ohma, Kisara and Koga went to the manager's office. Here, they were greeted with open arms, and great news on TV - The Kengan Anti-Worm Alliance was going splendidly, and most of them, even the officers, were either killed or detained. The Worm Purge was going quickly.

"Wait, is it over then?" Koga gasped, looking at the TV. "It's not." the woman gulped. "The Connector is alive. His subordinates are alive. The Other Tokita Niko is alive. Gilbert Wu is alive." she bit her lip hard. "Ohma, you said Gaoh Mukaku was a monster. The Monster is Shen Wulong. He toyed with Mukaku like he was a ragdoll. He outright destroyed him." "You met the Connector again?" Kisara nodded. "I don't know how I'm still alive, but by the Gods alive, there's nothing scarier than being surrounded by those guys." finally, she could sit down - Her legs felt like giving out. "We've got a lot of problems on our side - And, Ohma - Shen said something weird. I don't quite get the implication, but... He said... You are not HIS clone, but Ryuki is." "Wait, but Ohma and Ryuki look the same, don't they?" Ohma, Kisara, Koga, Yamashita, Kaede and Rin all looked at each other with wide, scared eyes.

Is there more than one Connector out there?!

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darkdevasofdestruction · 1 year

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Chapter 20 - Ken Doll and Barbie the CEO

With support from her partner, Kisara and Ohma returned to watch the third match. The odds were equal now, and the Kengan fighters had renewed hope. Now that they got familiar with the ring-out rule and the countdown, they can show off, as they deserve - After all, Purgatory was shit compared to Kengan.

Once they arrived back at the waiting room, the fight had already started, and Julius was fighting that guy who matched his colossal build. As soon as Kisara saw her friends, she almost completely forgot about her haziness and started smiling, greeting them with a lazy wave. Before she could blink, Raian was there - Thankfully, her partner pulled her out of the way before that dumbass could pounce on her. Five times. "Guys, stop, I'm getting dizzy." though her vision blurred slightly, she was able to chuckle. "Seeeeeee~♪ babe? I told ya you could fuck those fuckers up! You fucked them up real time!" he cackled like a freaking maniac, but he was hilarious. "It was a collective effort, I don't deserve all the praise. I learnt from all of you. It should be me, thanking you, for quite literally seven years of help. You especially, 'Tsuki. You started all this, my best friend. My win is yours, as well as everyone else's." the man smiled at her, and walked up, patting her hair. "Hatsumi would have been proud watching you fight." she smiles sarcastically. "Oh, yes, of course he would have - If he wasn't training in some mountains in the middle of nowhere, in China. He went training with Rei, the same as when he started training me. I wonder if he thinks Mikazuchi Rei is actually a girl." she started laughing again, only to cringe and clutch her sides. "Kisara." she heard Gaolang's voice, as he stepped forwards. "Thank you." he held such a sweet and tender expression as he thanked her and extended his hand for her to shake. "I don't do handshakes with the God of Boxing, brother." she smiled back, clenching her hand into a fist, and bumping it into his right Godly fist. "I have been blessed." he couldn't help but look away in amusement. Through all the praises, Kisara went to Agito and extended her arms to the side. "Do I get a hug, AG?" the girl gave him a playful smile. "You should have been in the roster from the very beginning. I know what I trained." careful not to hurt her, he pulled her into an embrace. "It takes almost being beaten to death a few dozen times to get this good." Kisara laughed, making Agito shake his head - It had taken a long time, getting full control over his two sides and eliminating the delay - But in the end, he succeeded.

"Hey, boss. You mind if I watch the fights from here?" a boy around Ryuki's age came in the room. He had silver hair, and a boyish, innocent expression on his face. Judging by his stature and the few visible scars, he must have been a fighter. Kisara's supposition was confirmed by Yamashita Kazuo, who agreed to let him watch from here. "Ohhh, are you Ryuki's friend?" Kisara quickly made her way to the two boys, putting her hands on their shoulders. "Ah - ! You're the lady that fought just now!" Koga stared at her with awe. "Kisara's my name, great to meet you. I take it you're training to become the next big guy too?" the boy grinned, though he seemed bashful. "Yes, Miss - But I know it will take a while. I just started, really. You guys are all super cool and strong, and I'm nowhere on your level." he was such an innocent boy, sweet darling. "Hey, now, you've got all the time in the world. At your age, I was a shut in who never left the bed. In fact... I was around 23 years old that I actually started doing any kind of physical training. That pretty man there - He's Nitoku. He studied to become an author, you know? He took up fighting barely 15 years ago. So - Not all of us start at an early age, but it's never too late, you know? So, chin up, I'm rooting for you!" though Koga was feeling overwhelmed by all the encouraging, he couldn't help but be attracted to the battle of the two beasts that was taking place. The impact of each and every blow was so heavy, that even the people of the audience thought they were being thrown flying away. "Hey, hey -- This doesn't look good at all! Our guy's getting pushed back!! Gosh, are they even human?!" poor Koga's face was dropped to the floor, crestfallen. "Doesn't look good? For who?" Wakatsuki scoffed at what he had just heard. "I've fought him before, so I can tell - It'll take more than THAT to bring him down." Julius managed to land a blow so hard to his opponent's gut. "Ohoho, yes, that was a fantastic fight, though you gave me a fright close to death. Half your face was dragged across the cement wall, it was insane!" Julius received a heavy blow to the head that sent him down to the ground - He almost got stomped down, but he blocked with his arm, delivering another blow - The enemy fighter was sent sliding across the floor, and continued getting plummeted... Or so the public thought.

"Wakatsuki... This isn't looking good." Ohma stared in shock as the opponent took a direct hit to the cheek, only to spin around and land a punch so powerful that it sent Julius to the ground, and the countdown began. "...I knew this would happen." he tsk'ed in annoyance. "He shifted the flow of power to reduce the damage." "But... That looked like your Redirection Kata." Kisara muttered back, earning a nod of approval. "C-Come to think of it... The first time he knocked Julius down - His fist made an unnatural impression on his torso. What if that's because he was going limp?" Yamashita pointed out a very good fact. "The Water Kata. That Pineapple Head relaxed all the muscles in his body to disperse the damage." Ohma agreed. "B-But how does he know the Niko style techniques. C-Could Toa Mudo be a Worm that's infiltrated Purgatory??!!!" the four of them sobered up.

On the count of 8, Julius got back up. Though he attempted a punch, he was deflected and sent to the ground, only able to block the rain of punches. But from that impossible posture, Reinhold was somehow able to lift the man slightly heavier than even himself, whilst getting hammered down, trying to break free. "JULIUS!!! PUT UP YOUR GUARD!!!" Takeshi was his one eternal rival - And his biggest supporter in this tournament. "It's hopeless! His opponent's techniques are first class! He's not an opponent he can beat with brute force!" Koga looked like a gasping fish. "You're underestimating Julius, kid." Kisara smirked. "Only people who have fought Takeshi and gave him a run for his money can properly develop strategies to beat down strong guys that rely on martial arts as well as their own raw strength. I bet Julius sees Tsuki in the ring." she jabbed at her best friend. "... Let's not." Wakatsuki grumbled, anxious for the fight before him. As if predicted, Julius knocked back Toa, making him fall on the ground, and he even made him cough blood. "WHA--?! WHAT'S UP WITH JULIUS'S FOREARMS?!" as Yamashita rightfully gawked, his arms truly did look... Odd. "THAT'S -- THAT'S MUSCLE CONTROL!" if something could make even the Tiger breathless, it must be fantastic. "I've never seen anyone control their muscles to that level before...!" "That's... Pretty insane. Think you could still defeat that guy?" though she meant it more as a joke, they both were wondering the same question - Although, neither has forgotten how modest and nervous Wakatsuki usually easy, even going as far as to downplay his own strength.

The two fighters were back up and took their stances. "He's preparing for a counter! He'll have to approach with caution." Wakatsuki declared - Everyone, on both sides, as well as the auditorium, were feeling tense. Julius was the first to rush, ramming like a high-speed train - And with a single punch, Toa had broken the concrete ground with his head. Impeccable. All the Kengan fighters were cheering loudly, gleeful at the fantastic sight before them - Although Toa must have landed the counter, Julius spun his forearm to repel Toa's block. He flexed his muscles to their limits, then released them all at once - Similar concept to the Blast core, though its usage is entirely different. On the count of 10, Julius Reinhold, the Martyr of Muscles, was declared the undisputable winner of the 0% fat fight.

"That was AWESOME, Julius! A great match to witness, as always!" Kisara praised the man, who grunted and nodded in acknowledgement. "That win was totally you. You pulverized his techniques in just one hit." Ohma recognised his achievements. Once again, Julius scoffed. "The truly strong need no technique - But more importantly, Tokita Ohma, I don't think that man is a member of the Worm you're looking for." Ohma nodded his head. "Yeah... That looked like the Niko style at first, but it was something else entirely." he agreed. "You've improved again, Julius." Wakatsuki praised, raising his hand up. "I'll be cordial with you, but only this once." in their most epic fashion, the two strongest men high-fived, the sound of that clap resounding like pure victory for the Kengan association.

"So, now that three matches ended, it's finally time for the Purgatory to choose first, and we counter, right?" Kisara asked, though quite a few minutes have passed. "Yes, you are right... But why can't they just pick someone already, the hype is dying down fast." the manager grumbled, staring suspiciously at the Purgatory. "But we have 13 matches - Doesn't that leave one out?" Naoya asked, counting on his finger.

As if on cue, Alisa came forth, announcing a special match, as all lights went off. It was a timed match, and instead of the ring edges, the fighters can only move inside the glowing light. You lose if your whole body leaves the bounds of the light. In this match, the countdown doesn't apply. If, by the end of the 5 minutes there is no clear winner, the match is declared a No Contest. Gaolang was the first to speak, saying that the Purgatory had every advantage - Kisara disagreed, and she looked at Misasa with a mischievous smirk. He looked back at her, and with that leisure smile of his, he took off his blazer and announced that he can go fight this one. "Who else but someone small, fast and agile like this silver fox do you think can properly fight under these rules? If some big-ass meat head comes over, he can easily play around him. You wouldn't want another Julius and Toa match under these circumstances, right?" Kisara countered Gaolang. "If Miss CEO has so much faith in me, how can I back down now?" Misasa lazily chuckled. "Maybe I should go. I'm a rookie too." Masaki serenely spoke. "No." Yamashita was solemn. "I'd like you to go, Misasa." after so long, he could see how match ups can be made in your favour. He trusted Misasa's confidence, though he's never seen him fight before, the way he saw others. Regardless, despite his small build, he was chosen as the Eighth Fang, so he must be strong, especially after Katahara Retsudo himself praised him so much.

According to Alisa, the Kengan team was 'tricked' into choosing first - As it was a special fight, the two teams had to pick at the same time. But no matter. Misasa had his hands in his pockets, and looked around. The ring was empty, save for his sole presence. Ohma was reminded of Kisara's No-Fighter stance, and found the corner of his mouth twitching up. This guy must be the real deal. The Purgatory will underestimate him, the same they did for Kisara. Losers. "Don't pussy out, Biiiiiiiitch~ ♪" the Kengan fighters could hear nothing from the two Fangs shading each other, but they could hear Kisara's uncontrollable laughter. Raian recalled that one day he trained with that damned Fox girl, and all the tricks and taunts she pulled on him. He wasn't sure whether that little shrimp guy was doing the same thing, or simply had a personal vendetta against that meat-head fuckwad, but it was going to be as good a match to watch, as the red head's. Still, he just wanted to jump in action and beat the crap out of those fuckers already. And kill. Raian craved violence.

Once the fight was announced, the meat-head went in for a punch - He was fast, and followed up with more hits until Misasa was at the edge of the light. Though Naoya was impressed by his speed, despite his large build, Ohma was disappointed to see such an amateurish waste evident from all his motions. "Now, the fun begins." Agito heard Kisara giggling ominously, jumping on the railing to get a better look of the fight. The meat-head tried to palm Misasa's face, only for him to side step and end up behind him, punching him out of the ring - But he failed, and the traitor turned around and somehow cut off at his shirt and chest, drawing a bit of blood. Misasa seemed irked off. The motion the ex-Fang made with his hand looked as though he was using his thumb's knuckle to cut, the same as Lihito used the pads of his fingers to pinch.

The light's spotlight was getting smaller and smaller, whist the enemy's arrogance was increasing a hundredfold. Kisara was sitting on the railing, dangling her legs playfully and grinning at the display before her. "He's toying with him, what a cute dork!" she felt so easy-going, unlike young Koga whose grip on the railing bar seemed to be so tight that his skin turned bloodless pale. "Toying with him? Miss Kisara, I know he's your friend, but look how close he is to the edge of the light! One small push and he's gonna get propelled out of the ring!" the poor boy gasped in anxiety, only to see the red head point her finger towards the fight, as Misasa punched the enemy down to the ground, his face roughly slamming on the ground. "Ahhh, that was rough...." Misasa took off his shirt, throwing it out of the light-ring. "I can't stand being talked down to by a piece of shit like you..." Kisara wolf-whistled at the blond fighter, only to receive a mischievous wink right back. Kisara laughed, and laughed harder, as the foe got back to his feet, shrieking and growling countless curses and insults towards the Eighth Fang of Metsudo. "Come on. It's time to go to Hell." Misasa got in a fighting stance, flapping his hand as a gesture to get his opponent to attack him. "You are just a bat who thinks he's a lion." Misasa effortlessly retorted, watching the traitor lunge at him, and he retaliated with a knee to his chin, making him stumble backwards, before rushing forward with a barrage of elbows well aimed. "I've never seen a martial art like this before." Ohma muttered, leaning down to Kisara's height. "That, my darling, is just about one of the best martial arts known to mankind." the girl giggled, snaking an arm around his waist to pull him next to her, so she could lean on his body. "It is called Silat, and it has mainly soft movements, and can be successfully done with weapons also. They use elbows not only for attacking, like in Muay Thai, but for blocking and parrying also." the red haired woman explained the theory behind it. "Look how Misasa used his elbow to parry and derail that idiot's straight punch, and now he's using the other elbow to hit him over the head, at precisely his weakest spot. We are adorably cute and small people, my love, but we are capable of defending ourselves, even against meatheads like Yumigahama." the girl giggled playfully, watching as the blond knocked him off the balance and getting him in a one sided beatdown, attacking from outside his awareness. Misasa was capable of out-maneuvering his enemy at every turn, and no amount of size difference can make up for an attack you cannot see coming.

Spinning elbow, 12-6 elbow, elbow uppercut and a karate-chip to the wind-pipe, they all sent Yumigahama to the ground, writing in agony. He didn't even realise that his large frame was working against him, as the ring was shringing at such a rapid pace. A psychological wall that was getting him caught up and unable to fight to his fullest.

The foe cockily got up, getting in a stance, laughing at murdering one of Misasa's subordinates - Took out the trash, he said - If only he knew how angry Misasa was, deep inside his heart. "I don't wanna hear another word out of you. Just shut up and die." Yumigahama kept throwing punch after punch as the younger one dodged perfectly, yet still got nicked here and there. Despite all this, he wasn't landing any hits, nor was he able to throw Misasa off his groove. His moves don't work if the opponent sees them coming, and Misasa was a master at foresight, and was always one step ahead. "He's strong!" Wakatsuki exclaimed. "Misasa excels at fighting in tight spaces. He's turned his smaller build into an advantage." Agito nodded. "Look, Wakatsuki. Misasa is carefully aiming for Yumigahama's vitals. Misasa's cultivated the skill it takes to bring down opponents with bigger builds, and with his movement restricted and nothing in his arsenal but simplistic attacks, Yumigahama has no way to defend himself." he noted skillfully. "That's right, you big, brawny guys~!" Kisara looked over her shoulder at them, a snake-like smirk on her face. "All it takes is a little ingenuity."

Finally, Misasa got fed up with entertaining that idiot, and the light ring was small enough to his liking; As Yumigahama aimed for a grapple, Misasa used his elbows to hit his wrists down, before the joints of his thumbs shoved hard into his temporo-mandibular joint, dislocating it. As the enemy was shrieking in agony, the blond aimed an elbow shot to his cervical vertebras, and another, right in his face, making his teeth fly out - With one last punch, Misasa slammed his head down onto the ground, making push out of his face and skull.

"IT'S OVER!" the red announced. "THE WINNER OF THE SHOWDOWN IS MISASA!" as Misasa made a catwalk prowl back to the stands where the Kengan team was waiting for him, the first to greet him was of course, Kisara, who high-fived him.

"Way to go, you little tanuki!" Koga almost shuddered at the ominous look those two seemed to emanate simply from those vague, enigmatic close-eyed grins addressed to one another. "Much appreciated, kitsune lady." he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, looking at the others. "Good work, Misasa." Agito praised him. "Oh, don't mention it. I was just lucky enough to hit his sore spot." the blond chuckled dismissively. "Hey, don't be modest, that was a nice fight!" Naoya scolded him with a laugh. "That's right, you little Ken-Doll. Don't go around playing down our fearsome might!" Kisara nudged him in the ribs. "Alright, alright, my apologise Barbie the CEO." Misasa chuckled lightly. "Okubo and Miss Kisara are right, you fought very well!" Yamashita Kazuo smiled at the Fang. "Your display was worthy of the name of Fang. The Master will be pleased." Agito nodded, pleased at his successor. "Hey, guys." Koga called out. "I don't want to say Misasa's win wasn't impressive - But don't you think those guys are pretty unfazed?" "Yeah... It seems that way." Ryuki also spoke in a light voice. "N-No way! Their ex-Fang of Metsudo just lost! They should be screaming on the inside!" the manager exclaimed in shock. "No. My guess is, the boy is right." Misasa spoke as Kisara was applying cute, smile-face and animal plasters on his cuts. "Do you know what Yumigahama's record in Purgatory is?" he asked, only to look down at the red head. "No, not the salamander, I want the pink seal -- Oh, and that blue and purple panda." he cleared his throat, looking back at the manager. "Nine wins and five losses, wasn't it?" "Five losses? But he WAS the Fang of Metsudo, wasn't he?" Nitoku was just as surprised as everyone else. "So you mean there're still at least five guys stronger than Yumigahama?" Okubo sweat-dropped. "Purgatory is... Unfathomable." Kano grumbled with a glare. "With weakling rules like the ring-out, are you really surprised freak-loses can happen? Just like what happened with Gaolang." Kisara reminded them bitterly, only to flinch at the obnoxious laughter of the Kure fighter. "I LOVE IT! That makes them all the more worth killing!" Raian cackled like a maniac. "No killing, Michael Myers. We want to win, not lose because you can't restrain your blood lust." the girl scolded him. As they kept bickering amongst each other, Purgatory chose their fighter, a man called Naidan Monkhbat, otherwise known as the Hawk of Ordos. "He looks pretty strong." Ohma admitted, watching almost lazily. "Is he... Mongolian? He reminds me of what we see in movies." the Masaki lookalike approved her theory. "Yes, that's a Mongolian Wrestling uniform. It belongs to the Main School in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region." the boy spoke his knowledge. "So... Is he a grappler? Have I gotten that right?" the single girl there asked. "That's a perfect match for my Sambo." Nitoku fixed his glasses, fire surging through his veins. "No, no, it's time for a wrestler like me to shine!" Naoya, in his clown outfit, smirked arrogantly. "I could go out, if you like." Masaki didn't look up from his book. "Sit the fuck down, Richie Rich." Raian's comment made Kisara chuckle.

Naidan smirked up at the Kengan stands, and flexing his arm, he showed off the white tattoo of a disgusting insect. He was a filthy Worm, reporting directly to the head. Kisara gasped in surprise, whilst Koga and Yamashita yelled in shock. Ryuki, however, took his shirt and faux glasses off, and stepped into the ring without a warning to anyone. The Dragon King promised his friend he wouldn't kill this Worm monster... But it seemed the Mongolian had a death wish. Did he really want to get killed, or was it his arrogance speaking?

Ryuki was a tall, well-built boy, even for his age, but standing in front of Naidan, he looked so small and vulnerable. Naoya and Masaki seemed to agree his style must be something close to Greco-Roman Wrestling. As Alisa declared the beginning of the fight, Ryuki, in the blink of an eye, disappeared, leaping towards the enemy, only for him to get skillfully kicked down. The boy landed like a cat on his feet, before leaping again; Instead, he got tripped and forced into a cartwheel move, dizzying him slightly. Ryuki realised there is no way he could beat him in a contest of strength alone, as the man before him was at least 30 kilograms of pure muscles heavier.

Whilst deciding on a surprise attack, Naidan affirmed he wasn't an imposter, but the real man named and called Naidan Monkhbat. Interesting concept, if not, a little fearsome. Ryuki went in for an Uncoiling Serpent fist, only to get effortlessly punched in the mouth, and sent backwards. None of his moves worked - The boy was far too direct, and his set-up process was sloppy at best. He was far too easily predictable. Even when he was being held up, not even his toes touching the ground, he tried to hit his shin into Naidan's temple, but he got caught, the enemy's hand gripping the inside of his knee joint. Kisara was reminded painfully of Ohma's fight with Seki, a long while ago... It was a most frightful memory that she didn't want to remember at the moment. She was afraid for Ryuki's life, especially in the merciless hands of a Worm.

Naidan back-slapped and dragged him around, punching and kicking him without as much as breaking a sweat, yet all of these hits were nothing but a warning for Gaoh to get serious and actually bring forth his killing intent. "He's holding back on him, all 'cause I told him not to kill him...!" Koga gasped, nervous as he watched the fight - Seeing his best friend being slammed into the ground, bleeding so heavily, only made him realise furthermore how weak he was, compared to everyone else. He has so much to learn. "His opponent's strong enough to kill him, even if it weren't for that." Ohma reassured the boy. "If he is strong enough to report directly to the head of the organisation, I fear Ryuki might have no chance." Kisara muttered softly. "His movements are as precise as a machine. There's not a bit of waste. He has the unique 'Clingy Muscles' and 'Stunning strikes' unique to a grappling-based martial artist. His resilience is extraordinary too. This is going to be a tough fight." Gaolang spoke, and Kisara couldn't help but nod her head in agreement, remembering Cosmo and how tough he was, especially fighting against that psychopath Akoya. Grapplers were something above her comprehension. "Nobody on our team could match him in pure strength, except for maybe Julius, Wakatsuki and Raian. Ryuki can't win the fight the way he is now." "Not even you and Ohma?" Kisara blinked in surprise, only for the Boxer God to miserably shake his head. "Agito?" still a negative answer. "What an insane man."

With some mental gymnastics played by the Mongolian, Ryuki was now questioning his own convictions and morals. His grandpa, Gaoh Mukaku, told him to kill all Worms as they are evil, yet at the same time, he wasn't trying to kill him in the ring. Going as far as to claim that the boy was questioning the validity of his grandpa's claims, Ryuki's mind was completely blank and gone beyond the human realm; He began attacking his foe on an instinctual level, and it was clear he was doing far better, enough to get Naidan staggering. Ryuki was so much faster and unflinching than before, so swift that even his opponent couldn't see his hits.

Still, the Mongolian and his mastered 'Bird's Eye view' was fantastic and on a whole other level than any of them put together. It was a different kind of Foresight that Kisara couldn't understand the mechanism of, yet could agree it might just be a little better than the initiative she was taught. She wondered if she would be able to keep up with Ryuki's swift moves, as she, too, was speed and agility reliant.

Naidan hadn't broken a single sweat bead during the entire match, not even as he was holding a struggling Ryuki up by the neck. "Neither you, nor I, can escape the karmic cycle of killing - So if you won't kill me, then I will kill you!" the opponent shouted at the boy. "Is it because of your environment? Then, let me exterminate the Root cause." as Naidan glanced back at Koga and Yamashita Kazuo, he completely missed Ryuki's lightning speed as he got slammed in the face, only for the boy to get behind him and feint him, then get hit with a soft strike in the cheek, to the point they were both on their knees. "I'm never... Never letting you hurt Koga again." Ryuki growled like a feral animal. "YOU WILL DIE." "BRING IT ON! ONLY ONE OF US WILL LEAVE THIS RING ALIVE!" Naidan laughed boastfully, whilst both Koga and Naidan's Purgatory friend yelled in disbelief.

Gaoh incapacitated Naidan with a thumb deep in his foe's eye and slammed down into the ground, plummeted down with a barrage of berserker hits and punches, only for Alisa to order for a count down. Ryuki was deaf to the refere, and Naidan was holding a death-grip on his neck, unwilling to let go of the one who had to kill him. The Omega. Both fighters were beaten and bruised, and the match was approaching its end. Naidan grabbed the boy, snapping his shoulder, dislocating his joint - No, rather, Ryuki dislocated his own shoulder to be able to land a good punch up Naidan's chin. In his suffering, he received a rough shin kick to that agonising spot of his joint, making his growl in pain.

Gaoh got flipped on his back and his waist was straddled; The Mongolian started strangling him, and not in the fun way either. His windpipe was on full attack. From sheer desperation, Ryuki pierced his thumb deep into Naidan's eardrum; Tears were gleaming and streaming down the boys face, only mirrored by the satisfied grin on the opponent's face, as he grabbed the finger killing him and driving it even further, into his skull and brain.

Naidan fell on Ryuki, half-dead. His friend leapt out from the stands, grabbing the Mongolian and begging him not to die, calling for the doctors to come over, yet barely any of his shouts were heard by the deaf man, who could only warn him not to trust the man calling himself Nicolas. "These fucking Worms only know how to bring misery to this world." Kisara growled, hopping off the railing and kneeling in front of Ryuki, bringing him into a tight embrace. The boy's fingers were gripping so deep into her flesh that she was afraid he would rip the flesh off her bones. "Shhhh, it's okay, Ryuki, it's okay. Everything will be okay. Nobody is upset at you, I promise. Nobody, not even Koga." it was almost weird, holding an almost exact copy of her own fiance, as though he was his little brother. Kisara was rocking the boy in her arms as though he was her child, one arm around his torso, the other hand caressing the mess of dark hair. "Miss Kisara... I....I'm..." the boy was trembling violently in her arms. The sound of running footsteps alerted the boy, who looked back at the two new-comers. "It's okay, Ryuki, just calm down. Let's get you fixed up. Miss Kisara, please help me get him to the Infirmary." Koga looked down at the two, panicked. The manager, however, was feeling intense guilt over being unable to save Ryuki. "Koga... Boss. I'm... S-So..." but the soft, weak voice of the young boy was drowned out by Naidan's friend, Liu, who was out for revenge. "Wait a minute... You think I'd let you leave, did you?" the glare of the Taiwanese man could freeze a lake. "YOU DIE TOO."

No matter what Yamashita said in an attempt to stop this Liu man, it was in vain, for the enraged man created an earthquake where he stood. Liu Dongcheng, the Serpent, one of the Three Demon Fists. How adorable. "W-Wait a minute, let's just all calm down--" "GET LOST!" Liu attempted a punch down towards the whimpering Ryuki, but in a split second Kisara rose up, using her Aikido to grab the foe's arm and making him fly on the other side of the poor boy, landing on his feet. Though Liu was shocked, being countered in such a way, he tried to hit the red head - He remembers her, the one who killed another one of his Purgatory friends - She deserved to die also. His next hit got deflected, but not by her, but by Ohma, who somehow appeared by her side in the blink of an eye, his eyes focused, yet his body completely relaxed.

Raian, too, came by, smirking like a mad-man, followed by a raging Naoya and a silently wrathful Akoya. "Look, I know how you feel, but if you start this, we're not gonna take it lying down." Tokita spoke with a bored flair, putting a protective arm around his wife, bringing her closer to his side. "YOU'RE ON! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" the enraged Taiwanese man had to be held back by his team mate, Jurota, whilst the other three were there to de-escalate the situation. "No, no, no, we'll back off right away, pardon the embarrassment." the blond called Nicolas smiled nervously. "Let's just keep a level head for now. This isn't the smart way to go." for some reason, Liu started at the one dressed for a nice beach time with absolute dread. "They've got a point. Naidan was acting strangely back there. I don't know what he was doing, but..." of course, nothing could calm him down. "If you get this competition called off, then Naidan will have died for nothing. Is that what you want? To let your friend die in vain?" Donaire, the one who no doubt was the captain, called out to him. This man seemed to have just about the same vibe as Ohma; Confident, assured, strong... A true leader, without even trying to be. "I'm killing them as soon as the competition is over." Lie growled at them, turning on his heel and walking away. "Well, looks like things are back under control." Naoya sighed, glaring at the Purgatory fighters. "They don't want this match called off any more than we do." Ohma nodded in agreement. "Things are looking a little too lukewarm." Raian grinned wickedly. "Raian, no!" Kisara snapped at him as she returned by Ryuki's side, embracing him. "Raian, HELL yes!" he lunged to land a punch on Jurota - But not only the brunet didn't even flinch, but Lu Tian casually rose his hand, blocking the fist. "You're a lively one, aren't you? But save that spunk for your match." as Raian tsk'ed in annoyance, remarking their strength, Naoya yelled and scolded the assassin. "Raian." Kisara called him over. "They're strong, aren't they? Very strong. To block your attack like that..." the Kure nodded at her. Sighing, the girl got a strong grip on the boy, but before she could get him up, she got dragged away forcefully by the assassin. "Nah, sis, ain't gonna let ya rip your stitches open." Kisara's cheeks turned a hue pinker, realising her awful mistake. "You should know better, Miss Doctress." "I... Might have forgotten I just got stabbed. Not that the pain isn't lingering, but I suppose the Worms pissed me off too much to remember." she sheepishly chuckled, only to get picked up in Ohma's arms. "Enough with the Worm-stuff, you dumbass bookworm. Just because you got some new moves and put a little muscle on those skinny arms of yours, doesn't mean you can overexert your injured body like that." the man smirked down at her, though the disconcerting feeling was eating away at his heart. "I just got you back, I'm not letting you escape my grasp, you little vixen." "Technically speaking, it was I who just got you back, not the other way around, you stupid gym rat." she brought him down in a kiss, before she was brought to the Kengan waiting area and put down. "Hey now, enough with that lovey-dovey shite! No need to make us all jealous!" Rihito whined at them, only to get swatted away by Raian. "Shut up, shit head, leave them be." Raian cackled, glaring at his menacingly. "There's still someone on the stage." Gaolang spoke all of a sudden, earning everyone's attention, before looking at the single Purgatory member, the man called Lu Tian, who easily blocked Raian's punch. "I guess he's next." Ohma grumbled lowly. The other member of the Three Demon Fists, the Centipede, Lu Tian. With a somber look on his face, he displayed a circular item, looking very much like a bracelet bangle. At once, Kisara gasped, her head snapping towards Agito, who was grinning at the direct provocation. "Agito -- Will you be alright?" she stepped in front of him, her hands gripping his arms. "My apprentice won her fight. I cannot lose either." he spoke simply. "I am as prepared as always, even with this." Kisara nodded at him with a smile, bringing her fist up for him to bump. "Alright, Agito. Show those fuckers who the Emperor of the Kengan Matches is!" "You've got it." with a monster-like grin, Agito confidently stepped in the ring, seizing up his opponent, challenging him with the Gu ritual bracelet.

It was going to be one hell of a fight.

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