《Charisma's Caster, King of the Night》 Chapter 1 - An Unfortunate Encounter It all started with an unfortunate accident. I was in a giant shipping warehouse that sort of doubled as a store. It is cheaper to buy products directly from the source than from a market theyve been moved to. I was stocking up on instant ramen as I would usually do every Monday, buying enough for the whole week before going home. Today though, for some reason, they hadnt quite finished moving all the products, so the boxes I was looking for were high up on a shelf I could barely reach. I tried to get it down to my cart by nudging it slowly off so that I could grab it. If itd fall down and just land in the cart thatd work too. Ive done this a million times and pushed hard to get what I needed. Boy, did I get what I wanted. Thinking back, I should have been more careful. As my fingers were frantically searching for something to grip they touched something furry and large. I instinctively drew back in surprise and set whatever living thing I had found off. I heard a high pitched screech and a sudden sensation of pain as something scratched my hand. My arm knocked off the box I was looking for and set off a chain reaction. Dominos. Everything above me fell all at once. Giant boxes filled with produce and an entire metal shelf collapsed on top of me, burying me under their weight and crushing my body without any real resistance. That was how I died. Oh dear, oh dear. How unlucky of you. What are the chances? I lay down under the boxes. I couldnt move. I couldnt breathe. A deep masculine voice invaded my ears. A shadow approached me from above, blocking out the one ray of light that my right eye could see. It took a second for me to realise what it was. A black cat with green eyes, with white fur on its belly and feet. I remembered the furry sensation that caused this chain reaction. This was the cause, a stray cat. For some reason, it was there and my hand must have caused it to bolt from its spot and knock over the cargo I really was unlucky. Ive always been unlucky. Just the usual for me. The cat yawned and looked at me with pity in its eyes. Was I dead? I couldnt feel anything. Really, really, unfortunate. ...Those words were coming from the cat. Was I dreaming? It sure didnt feel like I was dreaming. In a way, I am responsible for your death but then again we can say you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. What a pickle. Well, before I make a decision, let me see what youre made of. I thought I was going crazy; the cat was glowing. I thought I was glowing too, in a white light it felt pretty warm. Ah, compatible. Perhaps this isnt bad luck but good luck? Or maybe its simply fate? Well, whatever the reason, I cant let this chance pass me by. Boy, I am Hakuro. What is your name? I might as well go along with this, I thought. No reason not to. I tried to speak but no words came out. I couldnt move my lips. Oh, right. I should do something about that. The white light enveloping me suddenly flashed and all of a sudden I felt much lighter. That should do it. I was floating above my body. Like a ghost. I stared down towards my still and unmoving corpse. I was dressed in my standard construction clothes, an orange vest and grey pants. ...When was the last time I looked in a mirror? Im in much worse shape than I thought. My dark hair, both on my head and face, was a bit of a mess. It was to be expected, I cut it myself with cheap blades that I kept reusing despite needing new ones. It made me look rather scraggly and wild. My eyes had dark bags under them. My body looked thin as a reed like it was being pushed to the limits, ready to break under any pressure at any time. ...I guess that day was upon me.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. So, as I was saying what is your name? I blinked a few times in my spiritual form. This was really happening, huh? Uh, its Izumi Yugai. I guessed I could accept this. Yugai? Ah, that is a good name. This is always a pain to explain no matter the era, so Ill try to be direct and concise with the knowledge I am about to impart to you. Hakuro the cat closed his eyes and took a few seconds to think what the best words would be. Youre dead. I can bring you back to life if you sign a contract with me. Youll need to fight for your right to live on a frequent basis, but itll be better than being dead, and I have the power to grant your wishes provided you do well in the assignments I give you. Thats the simplest way to explain it. I need your consent of course. So, lets cut to the chase. Do you want to live? I took a moment to let his words sit in. This was a pretty ridiculous situation to be in, but I could accept it. So, I just have to say the words and I can stop being dead. I looked him in the eyes. I thought for a bit. My life was one where I lived practically every day with a pretty minimalist mindset. I didnt have any family or friends. I had some co-workers from my construction job but nobody I felt particularly close to. I had a home that was just big enough for me and the bare essentials. I had lived every day of my life without much excitement. Growing up, I was raised in an orphanage in the countryside. I was the only kid without parents there. My assigned caretakers would never stay long. A year at most before moving to a big city. I didnt blame them, that place is pretty much a dead end. I couldnt afford anything, not really. So I saved up money, every spare coin I was given. I stashed it away. No time for treats, or toys, or sports gear. Nothing like that. I made that choice. I learned quickly how important money was. Thats why I lived like this. Not a single piece of passion in my life, so I can live peacefully for the rest of my days on my own land. Sure, it was one room linked to a bathroom that had a showerhead, but it was my tiny house in the corner of a city. It had a small stove and sink. I had just enough room to sleep on my futon there. Its what I got for saving and working from the first day I could. It had been almost a year since I bought it yet, I didnt feel all that happy when I did. I felt something was missing. I just never knew what. Was my life just one long boring sequence that amounted to a single empty room meant for one person? ...I ate the cheapest food. I worked my body to the breaking point. I threw away all form of luxury that I could. The way I lived, was it that much better than being dead? If youre not enjoying life, theres not much point to living, is there? I wasnt sad about that. I wasnt regretful. It was just how its always been for me. I had never really had anything and when I finally did, it wasnt worth anything by itself. What happens when I die? I think Im ready. This is my time. The cat blinked once before answering. People like you are quite rare. Usually, people would just when you die, there will be nothing there. At least as things are right now. Nothing? Alright. I think I can live with that. Well, die with that. I can accept that. I closed the eyes of my spirit. I was ready to embrace the darkness. A pointless struggle was coming to an end. That was all. If I Images flashed in the mind of Yugai. Panels of black and white ink. A collection of old and fragile weekly manga at the orphanage he was raised in. They had been left behind by a previous occupant from before Yugai was even born. They were the only thing he had as entertainment in that small home where he lived alone. He read them over and over as carefully as he could, imagining the scenes of the books before him. They eventually got so worn he had to be extremely careful whenever he flipped the pages. He learned every line by heart. It wasnt the modern stuff. It was rather old. Most children he went to school with didnt know what he was talking about, at least not in great detail, so at some point, he just didnt bring it up in conversations ever. Going home as a child, these dusty and dying books gave him a little bit of life. A small flame to burn. A dream to be as bright as the heroes in those stories. Wait. I want to live! The fire began to roar. Chapter 2 - Drowning For Your Dreams Good. Let us begin. The world was swallowed by the blinding golden light. And the warehouse, replaced with a dark brick building structure. There were man-made rivers flowing through the centre of the paths before Yugai. This was a sewer, and now he was underground, in a foreign place. The water, however, was not filled with filth, nor had a ghastly colour. Instead, it was pure, and fresh. He could see fish swimming through the currents without a care in the world. Despite the fact that there were no torches, or even any sources of light around him, there was a dim brightness that allowed him to make out the details of the world around him without much hassle. Welcome to The Peak. Or rather, the basement floor - Industria et Acedia. Though, many started to call it The Rock. Izumi Yugai, before we can sign the contract, there is something you must do. Since I will be giving you life, you must pay for it in whichever way you can. Since youre just starting out lets say you must kill an F-Rank Monster. That should be good as your first payment. It shouldnt be too difficult. Let me lend you back your body. Hakuro whistles. Yugais body is then reconstructed into this foreign place, and his soul flung into it. You wont stand a chance if you dont know how to defend yourself, and simple martial arts or even a weapon on their own will do nothing. I shall teach you to wield magic. So, please pick it up quickly. I do hate slow learners. Now, imagine how a knife is made. Close your eyes if it helps. Molten metal is poured into a cast, it was heated at immense temperatures, and now quenched down in some water, only to be tempered once more. The process is repeated, until the blade is formed. and it is only then that it''s given a hilt out of wood, or something similar. Repeat those images in your mind, reroll them in perfect sequence, and focus all of that warmth wrapping your body into your right hand. Give it form. The metal can come from the minerals in these rock walls. The flames can be harvested from the heat in the air. The water can be taken from the river. The hilt, from the plants or trash nearby. Bring it to life. A knife made from your heart. Thats good. It seems you are not a moron. Now open your fucking eyes. A shining, silver blade, about five inches in length and embellished with a pure white handle now rested in Yugais right hand. He gripped it with all his might. It felt as if it was a part of him. It was unexpectedly heavy, and emitted a white aura that shone with some sort of ethereal property. A low growl resonated across the walls of the room, and echoed into his ears. Something was coming. Listen to me and you will have nothing to fear. The creature approaching you should be of little to no threat. That is, if you can properly harness your power. Project a second knife in your left hand. It should be simple now that youve done it once. Simply expedite the process you performed a moment before. It should have become to you as easy as breathing. Yugai continues to do just what he is told. Hakuro is correct, he is able to replicate the weapon with no difficulty whatsoever. He wields a blade in each hand, both having an otherworldly quality to them. The source of the growl emerges from around the corner. An unnatural creature meets Yugais gaze. The monster was about a few feet smaller than Yugai himself, its body, vaguely shaped like a human being, but brown fur spread across every single spot of his skin, from head to toe. Its eyes were bloody red and its nose a fleshy pink. It opened its large mouth to reveal a wide array of teeth, some jagged and rotten, others, square-shaped and larger than the rest. This thing was a rat, with the shape of a person. In its left hand it held a makeshift hammer, a rock attached to a stick via some thin rope, and on its other arm was a shield, made out of wooden planks wrapped together with vines. The beast suddenly scurried forth, lifting its left arm up to the sky, and raising the shield to conceal and protect its face. Growling could be heard the whole time, as it charged to close the gap between itself and its prey. Defeat it in whichever way you like. Yugai slowly began panicking. The slight wave of unrest started cracking into his passive personality. He''d always taken the blows of life and stayed mostly unaffected by whatever was thrown at him, be it something he''d seen or experienced, positive or negative. But this was the first time where he was aware that his life was on the line, and that the dread of this foreign place and the threatening circumstances slowly but surely sunk its claws into his heart. Sweat began sliding down his front, and time seemed to slow down, as danger charged towards him. The rat-man leaps, and swings his left arm while raising the hammer high up and towards the right side of Yugais head. And as it approaches. the world starts moving in slow motion for the young man. He could tell it would still be a couple more seconds before the actual impact. Fight or flight suddenly triggers. And he, right there and then, chose to flee. Yugai jumped backwards, to narrowly dodge the blow, and without missing a single beat, began running as fast as he could through the sewer-like tunnels. The monster chases, hot on his heels. If you do not fight, you won''t survive. Your life will only come back to you when you slay this creature. Otherwise, youll be trapped in here. Forever. Hakuros words are clear, as if he was standing next to Yugais ears. And unexpectedly, the man suddenly stops his retreat, turning around. Wow. Usually, they end up running and screaming for quite a bit longer. Hakuro was used to seeing people run in this situation, or even fight when exposed to extreme danger. They''d usually commit to one strategy or the other though, the expected fight or flight mechanism, and it generally takes quite a while before there are any changes in such instinctive behaviour. It felt extremely odd to him that Yugai shifted gears with just one line. Yugai turns around, throwing the knife in his right hand aiming at the head of his pursuer, with no hesitation. The rat raises its shield to cover its head and block the incoming projectile, but as it does so, Yugai throws the blade in his left towards the knees of the beast. The first attack is repelled by the shield, but the second lands on the enemy''s right leg with near pinpoint accuracy. However, it bounces off as if it was made of rubber. Theres a momentary look of shock on both the creature and Yugai, but it only lasts for a moment; Yugai starts running again down the corridors, while repeating the manufacturing method he''d been taught. A fresh knife was in each hand to replace the ones he just threw away. Thats odd. Even a total beginner should be doing damage with a low-level projection. Youre compatible with me, so metalwork is one of your innate traits. Something is off. Please, do give me a moment to find out why. Just stay alive for now. The cat begins to hum to itself as its eyes glow and shimmer with a holy white light. Oh. Yugai heard something escape the lips of the talking cat he''d grown quite familiar with. Disappointment. Another switch is flipped in his heart. He turns around again, and stares down at the enemy, and charges while roaring. You fool! Stop! What is wrong with you? I mean! The composure Hakuro had shown cracks, witnessing the recklessness of the boy who, just a moment ago, also seemed to be quite stoic, yet suddenly choose to do something stupid, rash, and emotional. Yugais sudden counterattack was a shock to the monster as well, who slows down its own attack in response, creating a window. Yugai takes this opportunity, as he stabs the left knife into the slightly exposed gap, uncovered by the shield, and thrusts against the neck of the beast. The blade snaps in half on contact. This comes as a shock to both the rat and to Yugai, but the rat is quicker to recover and react. The shield smacks against his body, and despite the difference in weight between the two, Yugai is sent flying into a nearby wall. Theres a very mild groan, but no scream of pain. He holds it in, as he always has done. He stands again, quickly, ignoring his injury as he starts to run again, with no hesitation at all. Almost as if he was a program, being given a line of code to execute immediately. Hakuro sighs as he starts sending a message directly to Yugais brain. Listen, before you do something thoughtless like that again. Normally, even a novice Disciple like yourself should be able to damage and defeat an F-Rank Monster with only light to mild difficulty. I could go into scrutinous detail about why this is, and why you are an exception to this rule, but we do not have the time right now. So, allow me to be as brief as I can, and explain in a manner that even a person lacking knowledge of pop culture of this modern era can understand. People have statistics, strength, intellect, and a wide variety of things. These are obvious traits that everyone uses in their daily lives, but now that youve signed a contract with me, a Mystic, these things have become even more important than they were before. Some of the designers of the Peak decided to rework the way things work in regards to magic, to reflect some things they found entertaining. Mainly games you, humans, invented. So, some characters you can play in such games use Charisma as the stat that is used to cast magic, and thus, this stat also correlates to your magical power, and output. You are... severely lacking Charisma. You have less Charisma than the deadbeat hobos who hopelessly roam the streets homeless for all the wrong reasons. You have like, three points in the stat. A newborn child has more See, you are neither charming nor intimidating. You seem to lack the ability to make people do rather, even think anything at all about you. Perhaps due to your upbringing, or your biology, but whatever the case may be, you simply do not have the required ability to create any sort of magic that can do damage to the creature after you, especially now after your life. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Despite the dismaying news, Yugai continues running without slowing down for even a second, almost unfettered by the disappointing information. It is as if it was a punch he''d taken time and time again, and had built a tolerance to it. His sprinting form is actually not that bad, he was used to moving at fast paces for extended durations of time. This does not escape the watchful eyes of the guardian that is supporting him. ...The fight is not completely hopeless, it seems. You can still try to attempt to defeat it physically. Though, with your malnourished body, and lack of combat experience, not to mention that your Strength is not much better than your Charisma, I highly doubt this. So, there is only one method left that I can think of, that you can use to triumph. All biological life forms have Ki within them. Its a source of energy your body produces to perform physical feats. Mystics, such as myself, have Mana flowing within us instead. Since we have established a contract, I am pouring Mana into your system. Using Ki, you can strike with enhanced strength. And using Mana you can wield magic Or could, rather." If you can successfully mix these two forces within you, together as one, you will convert these sources of energy into Mystic Power, or if youd prefer, we can refer to it as MP. If you can create MP, youll be able to do a more advanced type of techniques, known as Mystic Arts. A Mystic Art is far more powerful than basic magic, or martial force. More importantly, even with your low Charisma, Im confident that one of these can deal significant damage to this F-Rank. It is not an easy process, and honestly not something I teach to a Disciple who literally knows next to nothing, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Beggars can''t be choosers, or so they say. If you die your final death, it may take me ages to find myself a suitable replacement. The last time I had a Disciple was, perhaps, around thirty years ago...? Before that, almost a hundred years. So, please, do not die. Itll be very annoying. Despite the long explanation, Yugai did not halt or slow down in his attempt at escaping. He accepted the information he was presented with, and acknowledged it as fact without questioning the source in any way shape or form. In his mind, such an endeavour is nothing but a pointless attempt that wastes precious time. He learned as a child, arguing is very pointless. A very bad way to use what little energy you can spare. So, he continues on, taking the instructions from Hakuro to heart, without any doubts. Unfortunately, to generate MP, a Disciple needs to feel two contradictory emotions in their heart, and blend them together as one, like hot and cool air working together to form a tornado. For someone like you, with weak emotional responses well... try your best. A small crack formed in Yugais face as these words reached him. The cat was right. Such a thing is nigh impossible for him. Hes never had such an outburst since childhood yet, he must reach deep within now, to search for something he discarded long ago, or else... today is the day he dies. He turns around, to stare at danger and death in the face, hoping his soul can scream something worthy in response. Nothing. Nothing happens, beyond a trickle of fear. The snarling half beast, half man whacks his stone axe against the right side of Yugais head again. A cracking sound echoes through the tunnel as the man collapses from the impact, and a splash, when his body falls into the stream below. This section of the river is somewhat shallow, enough that a person can swim with their head above the water if they try. The rat jumps on him, before he can do anything else. It slams its whole weight behind its next movement, because it is well aware that it has a disadvantage when it comes to stature. The hastily constructed wooden shield is enough to make up for the disparity. Yugai is pressed under the armament with incredible pressure and might, and he flails in response, trying to get his opponent off of him, but its of no use, he cant muster the strength needed from this position. His head is forced under the waves, and he is forced to hold his breath in an attempt to keep his lungs free of water. He is just barely able to use his strength to bring his head back above the surface, to take a deep breath, but in response, the creature pushing above him starts swinging with its left arm, sending the head of the stone hammer against Yugais head. The shock sends him back down into the shallow but very real depths. This repeats, because he needs to breathe or else hell drown, but each time he comes up for air the same action occurs in response. The hammer slams with wild and reckless force, from a rabid creature that attacks without any rest. The weapon smacks into his right temple each and every time without fail, over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over. Blood spills, and swims away like a bottle ink, cracked open into a sink. The rat starts swinging even when Yugais head is underwater. The force of the attacks are drastically reduced by the drag of the water, but its still more than enough to intensify and escalate the wounds it has already inflicted, and deal even damage with the new ones it leaves behind. Finally, something explodes with a splatter, it snaps as Yugai gurgles for air and his chest fills up with water. His right eye is taken away by the current of the stream he is drowning within. His heart begins to pound so loudly that when submerged he can feel it pulsating throughout every nerve of his body. Hes dying. He will die. If he cant stop this assault one way or another, hell drown, or have his head caved in, whichever happens first. Panic begins whispering into his ears and down his neck. Death. Again. The reaper lifts its scythe, ready to harvest his life for the second time within the span of just a few minutes. He struggles, but for naught. His vision blurs and starts going dark. He cannot breathe. His throat only makes gurgling noises when his head is buried in blue, and wheezing coughs when he has a nibble of air...and meets damage for his trouble. The pressure becomes heavier. Everything is turning dark and silent. A dim haze like static. Flailing wildly, he tries to fight in any way he can, to find some way to resist. If magic cannot harm the creature, and Yugai cannot generate the MP needs to have a breakthrough, then his only tool left is sheer brute force, and hoping that it works His right arm finds some amount of desperate strength, and mounts resistance. His right hand clenches into a fist, a punch is thrown with that remnant of power, against the lower jaw of the rat-man, but it warrants nothing more than a momentaneous discomfort. A glare from blood-red eyes filled with malice. As if to say How dare you even try and fight back! Swift and brutal retaliation ensues. The hammer falls on the fist that tried to harm its user. The middle and ring fingers are crunched and snapped with a single hit. Yugai tries to scream in pain, but nothing comes out and water, of course, flows into his lungs yet again as punishment for his failure. The hammer rises and falls, again and again. This time, aiming for the crippled hand, and continues to inflict further injury unto injury, until Yugai cannot feel anything from it at all. It has all become numb now. Not even a hint of pain. The world is tiny to him now. Just a vague shadow hovering above him, that goes back to trying to break the right side of his skull Yo! Dont die! You cant die! We cannot die! You can beat him! Hes just a big bully! Theres so much to see and do! We cant let him take us out! Kick his ass, hard! The naive and spirited voice of a child, a young boy. Familiar. Then a second male voice interjects. Hes older, hes clearly very tired, and sounds quite done with the world. As if taking long drags of a cigarette in the dusk before dawn in the middle of winter, when the snow begins to fall. Before it becomes a blizzard; before it swallows the world in pale deathly white; But even if it started in the next few minutes, the owner of this voice wouldnt care. Hed just keep on smoking, At most, hed cover the thin ember with his hands, but there would be no shivering, or annoyance. If a tornado came, and he was dragged into its rotary force, hed just accept it, because thats just nature. That would simply be a whim of fate, and who would he be to defy it? Facing death with a shrug. Nah, man. Dont fight this. Theres no point. Nothing good ever comes out of fighting. You just get hurt. Look what happened to your hand for even trying. Well, you probably cant see it right now. Its mangled, man. Like string cheese. Let it go. You dont have much to live for anyway. Nothing to lose. So, itd be easier, less painful, just Yugai cannot see the source of the voices, but he feels them. He knows the second voice too. He cant remember who it is, but he knows it, and its eating of his sanity. He knows these two voices very well. The two voices are glaring at each other. Sparks fly, born of rage and anger. They begin to yell, at and over each other. Telling the other not to get involved. To shut their traps. The young one is too naive, and doesnt know what he is talking about. The older one is jaded and a dick, so his words aint worth shit. Listen to me! They yell in unison to Yugai. Time seems to stand still as they bicker... Chapter 3 - Complacency and Innocence "Youre going insane. Thats what youre thinking right now, right, Yugai? Dont worry. Plenty of people go through this type of thing, and well, youre not suddenly developing schizophrenia or something. This is only a temporary bout, a fleeting moment of synapses in your brain, forming into three voices inside your head, telling you what to do. Yes, Im talking to you too, Yugai. My voice is very normal, at least compared to those two. You know why? Its because Im your inner voice. You know, whenever you think to yourself, and have conversations with yourself? Thats me. Yeah, usually Im not detached like this. By the way, did you know some people actually do not have an inner voice? Some people also cannot imagine images and the like. Thats quite wild. Some people have many voices in their head oh, I should stay focused and on topic. Youre suffering a well, I was going to say mental breakdown, but thats not true. Everything is shutting down. Youre dying. Losing both oxygen and blood, fast." Yeah, and you should let it happen. The old voice; No! Dont! Hes a shithead! Live! The boy; "They are not going to stop fighting, just so you know. If you havent figured it out already, they are also you. We are all aspects of you. Youre in shock and in panic, but to prevent your total mental collapse, weve manifested like this. As I said before, this is probably, not going to happen again. A unique experience brought about by impending and violent doom. Dont worry, were not wasting too much time, all this conversation is happening in microseconds within your brain. Its moving at like 100% efficiency and output, so we can talk for hours, and its actually just about a second. But its still important we get to the right conclusion. This is a rather drastic shift from how youre usually used to processing your thoughts. If you need a few seconds to let it sink in, I understand, and again, I have to stress it rather strictly, this is a one-time thing. It''s back to your own personal thoughts, or third person if you will, when this is done." Dont bother, please. Its too much. Ive had enough, and so have you. You made a big show earlier about wanting to live, and see where it got you? Dead, again. Or at least about to be. We could have perished relatively peacefully, without pain, feeling nothing, without stupid expectations, and yet you mucked that all up. With a flight of fancy, boyish hope. You let yourself listen to this brat. The adult shoves the child in disgust. What the hell!? Theres nothing wrong with me! Youre the messed up one! Youre asking us to commit suicide, thats what youre doing! Youre taking the easy way out! Shut up, old man! You stink of shame! Weve missed out too much of life because you always tell him to just accept shit, that its okay! "I can accept this, I can accept that. Ive parroted those sentiments internally many times for him, and for you. Thats practically your mantra. The older version of you loves these words a lot, its nicotine to him. The younger you hates it, of course, hes a rebel against pretty much anything. I think you already know what these two are all about. They have both already drawn their lines in the sand, but in the end, youre the version of us out there. The piece of us that lives, and breathes, and yes, dies. So, Im not going to push you too hard, but you need to make a decision about us, and whats happening right now." "Youre going to die at this rate, duh. I dont need to tell you that, but you need to make a choice. Are you going to listen to the jaded dead-eyed drifter, who just lets everything roll off his back because he just doesnt care anymore? Will you let him take the win today? Will you try to shut off your body, and let death peacefully take you to nothingness? Or does the hopeful and demanding bratty, but earnest, boy get to play outside, and try to take you further on the adventure of life? Well, what do you say, Yugai? Are you going to listen to option A, or option B? ...Ah, I see you want to hear my opinion...? You think since Im your inner voice, Ill be most true? Its not that easy, Im afraid. I know I said before that we are all you, but its important, very important, that you call the shots. None of us can make the final play. However, for what its worth, that is my opinion. All of the options you have are not wrong, they are all equally valid, so long as you are the one making them. Dont let us, or anyone else, strongarm you into a box. This isnt a trick question. You cannot make everyone happy, even yourself at times, so dont try to do that. Do whats right, and what''s best for you." "With that in mind, lets hear your voice one more time. No one can hear it, because your head is buried underwater? Youre really silly, man. You dont need a voice to scream and shout whats in your soul. Id like for us to sing and dance it out if we could, but... Im afraid were going to have to settle for a powerful inward yell, thirsting for whatever we desire. Thats also part of life, making compromises, but the method here doesnt matter, the intent does. That is something you shall not and must not give an inch in over. "Give up!" "Never surrender!" "I need to know. I need to know what were going to do please. I dont know? You dont know? Oh, man. Alright, thats fine. Take as long as oh, no. Oh, no. Your brain. He rattled your brain with that last hit. I said we had seconds that would end up being a few mental hours, but the rat-man has just made a liar out of me. Sorry. Quicker. Faster. Better. I need you. You need you. So choose, now! ''I dont want to die but living is so hard... I have to get up every morning, and do the same thing over and over again, without any real end in sight. I dont know why I do any of the things I do. Besides, well, thats just life. So, I get it. I know, I understand. Its very tempting. It makes sense. Let it end here, and that horrible longing disappears, because there will be nothing. Less than even the void, but on the other hand Im not satisfied. Theres so much Ive missed out on, that everyone keeps bragging about and showing off. Ive seen people with hunger and fire in their eyes that Ive never had. I cant help but be drawn to that flame, even if it burns me to ashes, a part of me thinks all the pain in the world might be worth it, just to bask and embrace in that glorious light for even a few more seconds. To know its heat. To know its boundless love, despite the price Id have to pay. Honestly, being frank with myself, hah I kind of want to do both. Just take it, let it all go. Fight back tooth and nail, and hope for a better and brighter tomorrow It''s hard.'' I know its hard on you. Thats why you shut yourself off. That''s why you don''t just let yourself go wherever the breeze takes you. Youre not trash floating in the wind. Youre worth something. Its hard to feel that, and remember that. When you hear it, you dont believe it. Your armour keeps it from reaching your heart, because youre worried its not a loving arrow, but a twisting knife. You expect disappointment and regret, so youve put up a wall to keep it all out. The good and the bad. Im sorry I failed you. Im sorry I couldnt protect you, us, all of us, from that pain. Instead of facing the challenges of life and coming out of it for the better, I avoided and blocked them all. We could never grow like that, but now we have a chance to change everything!" Also, you. Youre excited. I get it. So am I. Theres so much I want to see and do. Experiences I need to, well, experience. If we see another dawn, lets run towards it together, but let me remind you, its not all sunshine and rainbows. Theres a reason why he is the way he is. Theres a reason why you became him, and he was born from you. I have to apologise for letting you down to the point you got buried so far down I couldnt hear you, or even entertain a silly thought here and there. I have to apologise, for not letting us live out our childhood. Had I just ran in there, without thinking, wed get burned. Hes not completely wrong, and you are not completely right. Its hard for you to have faith. Its hard for you to not be bitter about what weve missed. I can no longer just be a shell of a man. I can no longer be a kid. The time has passed for both of those things, I think But I still have time to be me. To be the best version of us there ever will be, because hell be growing, each and every day, with every passing moment. But for that to happen, we need to get out of this. We need to win. So, if its not too hard, please, push forward. We can do it one step at a time, and hey, maybe, later down the road, youll be proven right. That blizzard youre waiting in? Look up. Its beautiful, isnt it? Use that cold to think of something bright and warm. Use your wisdom and get us out of here. As for you, a little caution wouldnt hurt, but help me breakthrough with your dense head and blazing heart. Thats the power and blessing of youth. I, we, still have quite a bit, no, a lot of it left. Lets go! "Im proud of you. I love you. Tell yourself that more. Its important. This feeling right now? This sense of calm after all that rage and regret? The mixing of Yin and Yang, the point where light and shadow meet, and make a beautiful eclipse of two opposing forces, working towards the same goal, but having come from and going in opposite directions. Thats what weve been looking for. Thats Mystical Power. Seize it! Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Its ours, its yours. No one can take this from you. This blade of shining shadow." "Alright, lets fight!" Four voices in unison, all the same man, yelled together until they became one once more. Live! Its just one word, but enough to turn the key in the drivers seat, and get the engine to begin roaring back to life. Colour returns to Yugais eyes. His vision is still dim, but narrowed to the right side of his adversarys head. And even though his life is hanging on a thread, its being held tight with every ounce of spirit he has. To let it go would only result in death, and hes not ready for that yet. One more push of resolution. The will to fight burns. His legs cannot move, or muster power from this restricted position. His right arm is useless, and inert. Magic is not an option. Physical strength is not enough. That only left one singular option. Countless signals, sent from the brain to the remaining left arm, and a screaming soul breathes life into every cell. Electrical and chemical desire pumps them to the last chance this body has, of survival. He forces his upper body above the waves one last time, and gasps for air as he readies himself for his last and only gambit. Something shimmers, for just a second, before his line of sight. A silver glow. It was a coin. A single shiny 100 yen coin. Its not worth all that much to a lot of people, but to Yugai, who had spent his whole life saving every single penny he could find; a single one like that could get him one or two packs of extremely cheap food. It''s a precious resource that had always been with him. An essential tool, and part of his daily life. His body and mind found the final piece of the puzzle. His soul now knew the true value of the metal before him. A lightning bolt of inspiration. He reaches out, and grasps the coin with his remaining functional hand before it can be swept away by the current of the river. ''Now or never''. His mind burns. If my magical power is really that weak because I lack Charisma, theres nothing I can do about it right now. So I have to go for quality and not quantity. Bigger is not always better. Its not about size, its about how you use it. Ive seen this in manga a billion times. No need for a big flashy finish, when a smaller and condensed form can do the job just as well, if not better. Focus it all on a single point. I cant overstretch, or itll all be worthless. I only have one shot at this! Cmon. From my left shoulder, carry this white-hot sensation downwards until it meets my hand. Dont spread it out. Keep it together. Pack it and wrap it until its just a speck. Push down as much as you can, dont let it disperse. Bring it all to a single finger. The left index. Slowly, carefully, propel it to the tip of the nail. Its vibrating. Its almost impossible to keep still, but I must. Imagine metal being forged within my body. I am one with steel. This fingertip this nail is harder and sharper than diamond. Something forms around the left index finger of Yugai. A singular metal talon-like object attached with a thinly wrapped silver ring. He puts everything into his left arm as he fires it off, like a bullet being propelled from its chamber. His arm seems to almost defy physics and anatomy, as it bends to make sure its package follows its desired trajectory and finds the proper target. Its a bolt of lightning. His body and mind have redirected all its functions to committing entirely to this unique sequence of actions. The small and thin metal nail strikes true. It pierces the right eyeball of the rat-man, and explodes into white and red upon contact. Words come to his lips, not from his soul, but from somewhere bigger, and greater. What he just did is a technique that has a name, and it spoke to him. Mystic Art: Tiger Sting. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. Yugai doesn''t stop there. He keeps pushing onwards and upwards with a raging roar. It sinks deeper and deeper down the canal, until it reaches something soft and tender. It rips that apart too, and digs even further within. Snap. Splorch. Something breaks in the beast above. Its arms let go of the shield and hammer, dropping them as if they were tools that no longer held a purpose, just dead weight, and now better off discarded than held onto. Yugai pushes the rest of his body into a forced march of action. He wont let this chance slip. He draws back the single finger from the wound it forged. A grinding sound erupts as it leaves the monster''s head. It has done considerable damage in both entry and exit. The metal talon crumbles apart into dust, no more Mystic Power to hold it together. It is now or never. Yugai throws his body above the smaller humanoid, grips its neck with his left hand and shoves it into the bottom of the running river he was suffocating inside, mere moments ago. He plants his crushed right arm over the torso of the creature, and uses his elbow to apply pressure on the solar plexus. The shoe is now on the other foot. The beast begins to drown under the sparkling blue. Yugai pushes down with bloodlust and a murderous intent he never knew he had. Bubbles rise and dance around his left hand. He ignores them. The rat''s body spasms uncontrollably, but not in any meaningful way. Yugai can see it, within the red eyes of the rat-man. Something fundamental had been annihilated by the attack Yuagi had unleashed. The body before him could not mount any resistance, let alone a counterattack, despite the desires of the owner. The creature is subjected to the knowledge that all attempts to save itself are all futile and doomed, without a single doubt. The fight is effectively over. The last few bubbles are let free. The last twitches of muscles cease. Yugai coughs and wheezes, expelling as much liquid as he can and gasping for precious oxygen. Blood runs down his now empty right eye socket. The rat-man is dead. Its over. He won. He wails. He cries. Partially from relief, partially from joy, and even partially from the guilt that he had to take another life. Even if it wasnt exactly human, even if it had tried its best to kill him, it didnt completely sit right with him. He couldnt justify it haphazardly. He killed to live. The reality of that starts crashing into him until there is no longer a river. No longer a monster. No brick walls or tiny plants, or dim but glorious light. Just boxes, tall shelves, and himself, sitting in the centre of a mess within the middle of a supply warehouse. Crying like a child who has gotten lost and separated from his family and friends. The pressure of not really knowing where and what hes gotten himself into. ...Congratulations. Im impressed. The voice of Hakuro praised him, but he barely registers the words that were supposed to console him. People start rushing over to see whats wrong... they see the mess, they see the wounds on his head and the missing eye, and they panic. They assume that the boxes fell and dealt great damage to his head. They rush over to help him while some managers start whispering in hushed tones to one another about what they are going to do. Some people rush to the security cameras to see just exactly what happenedthey see footage of a black and white cat being startled and knocking off cargo below to the unfortunate young man, and in a flash, a scene of carnage. As if a landslide had decided to crash on a single person for no reason besides bad luck. A wave of relief falls over the workers, this isnt their fault. No one will come under fire for this. At least, until the cat appears before them, leaps up to the shoulder of the warehouse manager and very affectionately rubs its body against his cheeks. The next few minutes are a big display of sudden outbursts of love and shock. Hakuro plays the perfect part of a pet that loves its owner, and suffers incredible pain and betrayal. He was playing the part well, when his supposed caretaker tried to push him away and screamed at him to get lost It''s all caught on camera, with tons of witnesses. What follows is a profuse apology, a hushed meeting behind closed doors, and a generous monetary agreement towards Yugai for his injuries, to not bring them up in court. A nice and comfortable settlement of pure cash. Hes sent off to a hospital with all expenses paid, the bill of course, charged to the warehouse, naturally. A representative accompanies him, to aid his recovery, as well as to take notes about him for her superiors and when the day is done, she turns in a file that reads as follows: Subject Izumi Yugai After his checkup, inspection, and treatment for his head wounds, he seemed calm. He smiled as he asked the doctor who treated him for, in his words, a cool and stylish black eyepatch. If you cant find and reattach my eye, then I might as well get something out of it. There seemed to be a lot of optimism from him for the rest of the day, after his request was fulfilled. He was smiling all day at everyone who got near him, and tried to strike up conversations constantly and talked with a positively childish excitement. While his rapid-fire speech did seem to discomfort many he spoke to, there seemed to be a lot of general amusement in response. It seems that the wound that was caused by the accident is mostly covered by the eyepatch covering his right eye, and that the ones that were not would heal in time. He seemed to be in good enough condition to be discharged rather quickly, and took the chance with glee. On his way home, he stopped in a patisserie. He ordered a slice of everything. He ate it all with wonder painted on his face. The staff had apparently seen him many times passing on his transit to his construction jobs, but he had never bought anything before today. In the past, when workers tried to pass him a flyer advertising the products of the store, he had always ignored them or said he doesnt buy unimportant things. This change in behaviour is seemingly drastic. When he arrived home, he thanked me for the escort, and wished me luck with a wide grin. My assessment is that he will not sue the company, or ask for further compensation. But perhaps this incident has altered his brain chemistry, due to multiple cranial impacts, or simply the reaction of having a near-death experience. We have no way to know the long term feelings and effects this will have, so Id advise on some low-level monitoring, or occasional checkups. In conclusion, he is presently not a problem, and seems to have no resentment or long-lasting damage. We are currently safe from any retaliatory actions. She sighed. Why did she always have to write this sort of stuff in this way? It had been a long day for Izumi Yugai, but it was also the beginning of the new lease he now had on life. Literally. Seven days. In seven days he must fight for his life again. Once more, at The Rock, though that is a week away. Tomorrow is a new day, and a new challenge, in the streets and districts with fluorescent red lights. His next mission? To become a host. Hakuro leaps into the house from an open window. His life and adventure had only just begun. Chapter 4 - Stairways to Destiny This place is rather tiny... Hakuro cautiously walked across the small interior of Yugais home. He was looking for a place to lay down but there was not much room at all. All there is, is a stove, a sink, and a single microwave. All tucked together in wherever they fit all together, a rather tiny spot, for that matter. Theres a single tatami mat, laid out on the floor. Enough, on its own, to cover most of the whole thing. The floor, or whatever bit of it you could still see, was made of light brown wood. There''s another door that leads to a bathroom, which was not even surprising at this point, was just a toilet, and a showerhead... next to each other by a drain. Theres a washing machine in the bottom left corner of it too. For the most part, the house was basically just a meager room, and that is no more than a tiny square with some appliances in it. Hakuro measures it mentally and itd just enough free space for Yugai to lie down in and sleep, without touching anything around. Two people could sit down in this small space, but two could not sleep here. Perhaps, four lean people could stand up inside, but they''d all be touching one another in the process, much like the passengers within a cramped express wagon at rush hour. Wow. This is I''ve known many people in the past that even now live in worse conditions than this. But for this part of the world, in this part of the country, in this city? You are quite poor. Not in monetary wealth mind you, I know you have money. Even before that gracious compensation. But youre poor in heart, and mind. The cat plods around, the only comfortable spot here is the tatami bed, and Yugai is already laying on it. He''s blankly staring at his right arm. He clenches his hands into a fist, releases it, and then slowly moves each finger, joint by joint. Oh, that. Yes, I healed your arm and reduced the severity of the wounds on your head. I couldnt get back your eye though, it went down the stream and its a bit too much with how things are right now. It was not easy either. Hakuro licks his right paw. Yugai blinks three times with his single right eye, and turns towards the cat. You brought me back to life, and fixing a missing eye is a problem? Theres no malice or anger in his voice, just confusion and curiosity. Hakuro sighs and scratches the back of his right ear with his paw, and rests it back on the wooden floor before answering. Ah, right. I have a few more things to tell you concerning that... I said before that you should think of me as something similar to a familiar of say... a witch. But you can also think of me as something like a contracted demon. As much as I loathe the comparison. I aid you, for a price. Fighting that beast was the conditions for the payment of a second life. If you were to fight more of them, you could ask for some minor wishes, say a bit more money, or a slight alteration to your physical features, or mental condition. Nothing all that astounding. The marks of The Foot are not worth very much, especially not the fodder. So, getting your life back for killing a minor minion, the bottom rung of the ladder. Did you think itd be so easy? So cheap? Even a single life is worth a lot. Yugai looks towards the cat. Theres no fear, betrayal, or anything negative. Theres no creepy weird smile either. Hakuro responds to a dumbfounded blink with another blink back. He has never met anyone like this before in all of his long life. Hes not quite sure how to react. Okay. Our relationship is now of Mystic and Disciple. Your resurrection comes with the stipulation that you keep fighting. Your life is basically on lease, or the equivalent of an installment plan. You have to continue to battle and slay targets, or complete quests, to renew the license for about a week. Soon, next Monday, exactly seven days from now, you will be going back to The Peak, and must do battle again. Hakuro closes one eye as it looks for a reaction from the young man. No discomfort could be seen, just acceptance of the strange situation. Hakuro decided to go ahead with his explanation. You can also think of this agreement, to keep you alive, like a sign-up bonus. Making an initial contract grants you an immediate reward. In this case, not dying. Normally, this would be impossible even as a bonus, to keep you alive like this, but considering it is partially my responsibility Well, an exception has been made. One that lets you pay back in instalments. Ive already gone above and beyond, healing most of your wounds, in addition to this rare reward. You can also be granted wishes by hunting more than your weekly quota, so you can also benefit from all this, not just sustain your present state. So losing an eye, perhaps only temporarily, is a fine deal, is it not? Yugai simply nods to this revelation of obscure knowledge. ...Boy, are you suffering from some kind of brain damage? You seem far too calm about all this. Your predecessors either cried out of joy at the prospect of magic, or were terrified about being drawn into a world of constant conflict. Im just making sure, you do understand the predicament youre in, right? The good and the ill before you. Yugai answers with another nod, affirming, which trips up the ancient and powerful being. Okay. Maybe, youre thinking this is easy. Ill just kill one of those things every Monday. Im sorry to break your bubble, but you probably wont be able to pull it off again, at least nowhere near that easily. That thing almost killed you for you to win this time But seeing is better than speaking for this kind of thing. Try to do what you did again, use that Mystic Art, here and now. Yugai lifts his left hand, and as if programmed to do so, his gaze fixates on the tip of his left finger. It takes a second, but a spark of silver light flies, and the talon has returned to being part of his hand. It feels almost like a tiny extra limb to him. The sharp tip glimmers under the light. How does it feel? Those four words from Hakuro are all Yugai needed to understand. Its light. Too light. Theres nowhere near as much power or density as before. I pierced thoroughly, all the way through his eye and into his brain. It didnt kill it, but it damaged its motor functions. If I redid that fight, here and now, Id probably die. This would barely pierce his eye, and would definitely not go any further than that." Haruko exhaled as he heard the boy talk. "Im not using my full body and muscles behind the attack, but just from looking at it like this I can tell. Its totally different. The Tiger Sting I used on him was ten times better. The cat couldnt help but feel shocked. This boy was not a genius. He did not have talent, his stats were pitiful, yet, he had an incredibly sharp intuition. He''d only won the earlier fight by pushing aside all the barriers. Both physically, mentally, and even emotionally, only to get a single chance to turn the tide. It was his first time performing a Mystic Art, but he had somehow succeeded, and dealt a crucial, game-changing blow. Hakuro wasnt sure whether it was luck, or just strong instinct, but he knew that the boy before him wasnt particularly remarkable. And yet, something about him seemed to shine. Something he couldnt quite put his paws on. But it was, without a doubt, the same factor that led him to win the life and death battle, and understand his predicament so quickly. Having good instincts wont be enough to save you. Even those with talent, strength and the blessings of fortune need to train, improve, and learn. You, who have none of those things, need to work even harder than they do. If they are going at 100%, you need to give it at least 1000... if not more. Otherwise, youll perish in battle. No ifs and or buts. Do you understand? Yugai does his simple peaceful nod yet again. ...I guess even at my age, you can learn new things. I need to adapt to the beat of your drum it seems... Okay. So, for you to get stronger, you need to improve your fighting skills, your magical power, and your ability to perform and execute Mystic Arts. Your power scales with your Charisma stat, as I stated before." Haruko took a deep breath. So well need to raise that, to make sure you have an appropriate amount of stopping power. As much as technique is important, its, unfortunately, the truth, that pure brute force is the first deciding factor in a battle. With enough raw strength, you can overpower those with less force, even if they can perform well-polished moves. We need to start from the bottom with you. Its the only way. Ill teach you some martial arts when we have the time, but we need you to have more Charisma to actually make use of it. I have the perfect idea for raising it. Fresh experiences on your end, and listening to others, should aid a lot. Itll also function as a new job for you, so you can keep yourself fed. Your diet has ruined your nutritional intake, and giving you a stronger body should also let you endure harsher training. Which of course will let you push yourself to higher heights, and break your limits. I know just the place. Follow me. Hakuro turns around, and sprints towards the door, and unlocks it with his paws. Yugai follows, opening it wide, and revealing a darkening horizon, as night was about to engulf this part of the world under its blanket. The cat crawled and climbed up his body, until he landed on his right shoulder. I will be your missing eye for now. Go to the train station and take the The cat gives directions, and Yugai follows them without question. He gets a few strange stares from the crowd while he is on the train, and a few people even try to pet, or ask about Hakuro. He answers them all with a smile, earnest and honestly, even when the only answer he can give is I dont know. Of course, this reaction made some people uncomfortable and mystified, but something about his serenity and grinning face disarmed their worries, and no one bothered him for too long. Eventually, they reached the station they desired. Hakuro continued to be a navigator, and Yugai continued marching to the commands given, as if he was a wind-up toy soldier. But his eyes did wander to all the marvels of the large central-hub city he was in. Bright neon lights and signs of many colours, sights and sounds that send flashing signals to grab the brain''s attention, the scent of food that enchants the body with newfound hunger. Stop. Turn right. Were here. Yugai finds himself staring at what seems like a normal looking building. It is neither large, nor small. The first thing he notices is a young woman with shoulder-length green hair and big sparkly sky-blue eyes. Shes wearing a rather extravagant red one-piece and a pair of matching scarlet high heels. Behind her, he could see two spiral staircases heading downwards, with gold railings and marble steps. Theres a third one, of the same make and design, heading upwards. The girls pale-white skin is immaculate. She stares directly at Yugai, and flashes him a smile as their eyes lock. She grabs the sides of her dress and cruises while bowing her head. Welcome! I am Nenekaku, but please just call me Nene! I am your guide to this wonderful establishment! Above us, is the Number One Host Club - Olympus! Behind me is the way to our aquarium, Poseidon! To my left and below is the path to our grand shopping mall, Hades, but it is still under construction. So, dear customer, where do you wish to go today? I will do my utmost to assist you in any reasonable manner available! Her voice is incredibly polite, yet bubbling with excitement.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Hoh? What an interesting take. You humans certainly have gotten better at this. Yugai, touch that girl''s face. The cat commanded and the boy obeyed. He lays his right hand on her left cheek and blinks when he comes to a realisation. This isnt skin. Its porcelain? Nene closes her eyes and falls silent. Wow. Wait, is this one of those work service robots Ive been hearing about? I didnt think they were this realistic and advanced yet! I thought she was just a cosplaying employee, but its a real honest to goodness intelligent android! Yugai suddenly becomes far more excited, as he is poised front to front with a small childhood dream of his. Nene is an actual robot, and hes going over the moon. His eye dances around wildly to marvel her frame from head to toe, digesting every detail it comes into contact with, and committing to his heart and mind. Slowly, he began to feel heat radiate from her cheek, and onto his hand. Ahem. Customer, I am a gynoid, not an android, as I resemble the female form. Not the male one, and while I am an inorganic life form, my creator has taken great pains to make sure I can replicate the feelings of humanoids. So, what Im trying to tell you dear customer, is that the heat you are feeling on your palm now, stems from embarrassment. Yugai pulls back his hand and blinks again. Sorry. Its just Im amazed! Youre like something out of a manga! Ah! This is a dream come true! The cat sighed. So youll only get excited about stuff like this? Well, I guess I cannot blame you. I do find works such as this maiden to be interesting from the viewpoint of a craftsman. Your creator has combined rare magical components with cutting edge machinery to give you both life and heart. I have seldom seen such success. You are a marvel, I must admit. Your words of praise would no doubt please my creators heart is what I wish to say. She looks away and sighs. Well, now that youre done with inspecting me, where do you wish to go? Yugai turned to look at the cat on his shoulder. Were going up. No need to call anyone and if things get messy, dont intervene. Theres a steely tone to Hakuros voice and a hint of mischief. ...Oh. I see." She sighs. " Very well, Ill be waiting here if you need me. I wish you luck, challenger. Youll need it. Having heard her words, Yugai turns around, and starts ascending the marble steps, until he reaches the top, and spots a man sitting in front of a set of glass double doors. His skin is kissed by the sun, his eyes olive green. His dark hair was slicked back, and a sharp goatee on his chin made his character. Despite being dressed like a bartender, he was also wearing a pair of crimson trousers with zippers just above the thighs. His frame was massive compared to Yugai''s, standing a whole head above, being at least 5ft9. With one look at his arms, a person could witness incredibly toned and trained muscles, honed over the years. Nevertheless, what stood out the most were his boots. They were made of animal skin, dyed black and had feathers in the back. The man, just from the looks, had to be at least in his late twenties or at most his early thirties. A man? Hey, todays not Violet''s day, and Hibari is on break for a few more hours. No reason for a scruffy guy like yourself to be here. Sorry, come again tomorrow. The man gestures for Yugai to clear off. The boy looks to his cat for counsel again and is given a message directly to his mind in response. Remember how you made those knives? Apply that to your whole body. Imagine you are wearing a layer of iron under your skin. Do not worry about the potency. Just do it. Yugai nodded. He inhaled and imagined it. Just under the outer layer of skin a suit of armour is being forged, naked to the human eye. He lets his mana dance its way through his entire body. He feels heavier all of a sudden as his spell takes root. Now put extra amounts into your hands. Curl your fingers. Yes, your thumbs too. Lower the posture of your body, as if crouching, separate your legs as if you were riding a horse. Left-arm forward, right arm back. Look him in the eyes. The movements come naturally until his stance is just as described, surprising both Hakuro and Yugai, but neither speak a word about it. ...Oh. Youre one of those. Theres a flash of annoyance across the big mans frown, as if hes faced these exact circumstances many times before. Hey, do you not know who I am? Back off kid. Unless you want a one way trip to the hospital. Ill look away. Now go, and dont come here again if youre just going to cause trouble. The big man does as he promises, literally looking away and shutting his eyes. ...Arent hosts supposed to be clean-shaved? Yugais question comes off as innocent as possible. The man turns back. ...Im not a host. Im a bouncer. Is that not obvious? ...Oh. You really, really, really, do not know who I am, do you? The man is dumbfounded. Yugai blinks. Are you famous? Im afraid I havent owned a TV, so sorry. I dont recognise you. The big man smacks his chest with his right fist. A powerful slapping sound resonates through the air like an audience applauding, as if to declare the coming of a star to the stage. Im Raimon Vivas! Former heavyweight boxing champion of the world! The Cyclone of Catalonia! With a Win-Loss Ratio of 42-3-1! 30 wins via knockout! You sure youve never heard of me? If you havent, then now you know! You dont stand a chance! Back off. Theres overwhelming pride in the man, and when he says that Yugai stands no chance at victory, he says it with such confidence that it comes out of his lips as a clear fact. Yugai stares down his opponent, before turning his head to Hakuro. ...Why am I fighting him? The cat sighs and a grumpy expression fills his face. Your wish is to live, right? Well, live it up! A fight against such a man will no doubt light your fire again! That feeling, that rush! Chase it! Trust and believe in me, my disciple! Hakuro leaps off the shoulder of Yugai and lands on a nearby balcony to watch his student face off against a far superior adversary. Are you really sure? You might die, you know? Last chance. His olive eyes darken as the clouds pass above and cast a shadow upon his figure. You dont look like a heavyweight. The direct comment disarms Raimon and Hakuro. ...Ive been retired for just over half a year now. Im probably about super-middleweight as I am right now. If you think the weight difference will throw me off, theres no chance of that. Ive kept up my training every day! Raimon raises his fists, his left stretched out far beyond his right, both guarding his face. A crack of thunder! His left arm lashes out, and becomes a blur that the human eyes can barely even comprehend. It suddenly snaps the space between them, as if it were a razor-sharp whip. His fist retreats even faster than it fired out, its all done in less than a second. See? Youll be out cold if you take even one of my jabs! Its a pain to explain this stuff to the authorities, so do me a favour and just back off. Wow! That was so breathtaking! Show it to me again! Hakuro chuckles in disbelief. Raimon is completely silent but his eyelashes start batting like the wings of butterflies when he sees Yugais lips turn upwards and his left iris sparkles like a diamond. Theres something... seriously, look, you seem like a nice enough kid, just in over your head. We dont need to fight. You dont need to go up against someone you stand no chance of defeating. Im practically invincible, after all. Yugais smile becomes a frown upon hearing those words. Invincible? You have three losses and a draw. You can be beaten. Sympathy drains away from Raimon almost instantly. Okay. First off, your level is nowhere near those four. Not even close. And they didnt even have any mana. Second, my power is even greater than when I was active, for the obvious reason of becoming a Disciple. Third, those losses and the draw were by decision. Ive never lost by KO. So, theres no way I can lose. Never in a million years. The wind began to growl in seething rage. Never say never. Yugai slowly pulls his right arm back even further. Swing your arms as if they are claws. Follow up every action with another. Do not stop until your opponent lays defeated on the ground before you! You can win. I believe in you. Hakuro lies to his student, but the words of encouragement and the teachings give Yugai a burst of faith and adrenaline. Tiger-style Kung Fu? If you can even last one round, at least itd make a good warm-up. I was getting pretty bored today, its been slow. Alright then, its your funeral! Come at me! Yugai is uncomfortably calm. His eye focuses on the place he desires to strike, and once it is locked on, he leaps into action. His right arm swings wide and wildly, turning into a sweeping paw of steel. It travels in an upward arc, and aims for the chin from below! Two inches. The attack falls short of the target location, and is held in place, two inches away. Something invisible stopped the attack before it even had a chance to land. Yugai tries to push forward, but cant. Theres a cushion-like sensation forcing him back. It is invisible to the naked eye, but theres a wall here, impeding his progress. Gale Force Barrier. If you cant break through it, this wont even be a fight. Itll be a one-sided beatdown. Raimon relaxes his posture, his arms fall to his side, he isnt guarding, or even putting up a stance any more by this point. Grrrrr! Yugai tries to apply more pressure. He inhales deeply, and then breathes out a sharp burst of air, as he forces his bodys entire weight forward! ...Theres no change. The invisible wall does not budge in the slightest. Okay. Grit your teeth. Youre going down. The moment the word down leaves Raimons lips a burst of black and white flashes before Yugais eye. Something strikes his jaw at such a speed he can barely comprehend its physical form. A gust of wind, mixed with force and gravity knocks him off balance. His body turns weightless. He falls. Thud. Bottom of the stairs. Khhkkkk! He expels spit and a few drops of blood as his body reels from the impact. Nene walks over to his fallen figure. Dear customer, Id recommend against continuing this course of action. Raimon is incredibly strong and, to be frank and honest with you, he isnt even trying. Do you need me to call an ambulance? Yugai slams his hands against the very first step leading upwards. They are still in the claw position. His digits dig into the marble and his lips contort into a smirk. He pants to catch his breath and then pushes his body upward until he stands on both of his feet yet again. No, thank you. Im good. He takes it one step at a time, ascending once more and, in a few seconds, is face to face with a champion for the second time, Im not done yet! eager to fight and fail as many times as it takes. Chapter 5: Hawk and Tiger Hey, Hakuro, Im sorry. I shifted all the metal you told me to make under my skin to my chin before he hit me. I disobeyed you. I have to apologise. Theres a slight twitch in the cats right eye and a chuckle from Raimon. Hakuro sighs, before speaking, ...Learn to be adaptable. You did the right thing. My words arent gospel. They are supposed to be something you grow from. Please, have a little bit of agency, wont you? Yugai nods and fires a thumbs up towards the cat. Alright. Im ready. Yugai shifts his stance and stretches out his right limbs, and pulls back his left ones. A complete opposite mirror to how he stood seconds ago. Finally, you realise that since youre missing your right eye, it is better to strike with your left side. The mystic cat lets out a sigh of relief. Oh? That was why?! Only to be forced to make another one, since his Disciple seems completely clueless. You two are a riot. Come on, lets not do this. You can just turn around and go home. Raimon smiles at the pair, seemingly in a much better mood now. Yugais lips contort and a waterfall of words slip out. Nah. I want to win. I dont want to lose. I dont want to run. I wont surrender. I want to run away. I want to give up. I dont want to fail the expectations put on me I want to live up to them. I want to win. I want to run. I want to win. I want to run. I will not lose. Madness is chanted like a mantra. The young man begins to shiver as something starts to snap inside him, as if he was psyching himself up to do something very stupid, his emotions running haywire. Two bolts of energy bounce within his body, smashing together over and over. His left index finger is slowly wrapped in white light and liquid silver until it forms a talon. The air becomes tense, as Yugais left eye aims at a particular part of Raimon. Its incredibly obvious to everyone present, a killer lock-on gaze towards his throat. Even if its totally readable and telegraphed, the amount of serious conviction held in the coming attack is a clear threat to life, least in intent if nothing else. ...Seriously? Heh. Are you a scorpion? Raimon barely seems fazed at the sudden shift, but his eyes have hardened. He cant let this affront go unpunished, even if he doesnt believe himself to be in danger. Last chance, go away. Yugai simply shakes his head from side to side, in refusal. Hes going to do this, no matter what. Yugai kicked his feet off the platform, leading to the set of doors he had to pass through. Even if Hakuro had never told him the reason why, he charged forward with stupid blind faith. He leaps ahead, and thrusts his left arm with all his might. His nail gleams in the light, as it seeks to pierce the barrier of wind that protects Raimon, and to strike at him directly. Mystic Art: Tiger Sting! Its an attack focused completely on a single point, to maximise offensive power. Its the only technique he really had in his arsenal. Hakuro expects this to fail, this whole fight has been orchestrated for his Disciple to learn defeat as it is, a most valuable lesson, and in addition, he wishes to see if he can pinpoint the source of this unusual something, this x-factor that is plaguing his mind concerning the hasty boy. The attack meets the Gale Force Barrier head-on. It grips the silver needle and tries to twist it, until all momentum is removed. Yugais body shakes as he is met with the magical wind backed resistance and then he smiles. The metal talon turns to dust. His left foot slams into the ground with sudden speed and force. His entire body lowers its mass, as he pulls his right leg and arm back as far as he can, and then swings with everything he has! Just like a baseball pitcher tossing a fastball. The mystic art with his left was a fake? "Well, doesn''t matter, if it cant pierce my barrier, then there''s no way a regular punch can Yugais right fist turns a shade of grey where its knuckles are located. Raimon does not move his head out of the way. He has complete confidence in his passive defence mechanism. It fails him instantly. The iron fist collides with his left temple. Everyone is in shock. Nobody expected this. Judging by the look on Yugais face even he wasnt sure if this was going to work, but it did, and once the realisation sets in he cant help but relax, panting, and then laugh in joy. Hah haha hah hahaha! I got ya! So, how about taking me seriously? Hes clearly out of breath. It took a lot out of him to land just this blow. Raimon doesnt look at all hurt by the punch, but he does seem genuinely surprised. Well, I guess this isnt a beatdown or a joke now. Its a prank and one that needs to be punished but again, Im going to give you another chance, just leave already? Even if you hit me, its just not fun if this is all you can do. This tone of dismissal was probably the worst thing anyone could say to Yugai. It doesnt happen immediately, but a frayed set of emotions bubble over, slowly but surely, deep within him. He backs off a few steps as if this exchange is the same conditions as a sparring match, a reset of neutral positions before the next bout, and Raimon simply lets him, because he knows he has already won. Yugai stares back at him as if theres something stuck on his throat that he wants to say. Meanwhile, Hakuro is once again confused by the actions of his student, but he did begin asking himself the most crucial and simple questions in response to this display."How? Why?" Ah, I see. Hes moving the mass of metal I made him make inside his body as if its a shot-out ball at extreme speeds to shift his weight and momentum. So, as long as his body makes the proper movements, he can add an immense amount of surprising force behind his attack by essentially hopping from one foot to the other, but with Mystic Power. Silence takes hold as Yugai returns to taking a stance favouring his left arm yet again. Hey, Ive been meaning to ask, what or where is Catalonia? Ive never heard of it before. He breaks it with a question that causes Raimons face to instantly grow tired and aged in expression. Urgh. Why okay, do you know where Barcelona is? Youve must have heard of Barcelona! Yugais eye lights up as if the question has been a cloud of smoke that had been concealing his vision and fogging his mind until now. Oh, so youre from Spa- CRACK! BANG! CRUNCH! THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. Yugai now lays at the bottom of the stairs, with his lower body still technically on the staircase, while his upper half is spread out on the floor below. Blood trickles from his head. Nene walks over and inspects him, seemingly sighs, and then turns her neck up to look at Raimon. Luckily, it seems that this customer is still breathing. Did you forget that lethal force cannot be used against intruders without the managers permission? No, of course not. You simply let your rage control you again. Theres a scolding tone now, just an inch under the surface of her polite speech. Ack. Im really I apologise, Nene. You know how I get when someone says stuff like that but, youre right. I hit him a bit too hard there. Ill call an ambulance and- Crumble. Crumble. Two paws digging into the pavement. Gggrroooaarr! Yugai stands yet again, forcing his body to rise to the challenge despite its bruises and wounds. Seriously? Im impressed. For real. Im sorry for hitting you that hard. I could have killed you At least no one can say youre a quitter but theres no way you can keep fighting like this. Lets get you patched up and we can forget that this ever happened. Yugai pants to catch his breath, gasping for air, he roars again as he finds his footing and advances upwards. Are you some sort of zombie? Where is this coming from? Raimon could no longer hide the amusement in his voice, as the young man rose back, hungry for round three. Ive gotta apologise too. I must have said something insensitive. Im not all that smart, so I probably tripped on your toes. Yugai steadies his breathing, but you can hear irritation. It can hardly be called a fight, and thats whats eating at him. But he holds back from just venting and instead speaks the other thing on his mind. Three consecutive jabs with almost no lag time behind them. My forehead followed by my solar plexus and then finalised with a liver blow. My body is aching. Youre amazing Ah, right, I forgot to give you my name, even though you gave me yours. Thats so rude of me. I forgot my manners. Im Izumi Yugai. Its nice to meet you. The boy is face to face with the champion, who is finally perturbed by the analysis of his opponent. Y-you did you mitigate and see all my hits? Even if he used the same method from before to form magical metal defences at the points of impact he shouldnt be standing now Okay. I need to double-check this. Hakuro focuses his mana to scan Yugais stats again. Something felt off here. He shouldnt be nearly this strong or durable. A screen flashes before the eyes of the magical cat and sure enough, there was an issue. It was different than before. Izumi Yugai Age: 21 Mystic: Hakuro - True Name: ??? Form: Metal Style: Tiger Kungfu Strength - 18 Magic - 12 Dexterity - 14 Speed - 10 Endurance - 26 Charisma - 9 His stats had drastically increased from what they were before, almost all of them had practically doubled. How? It only took Hakuro three seconds to realise it, but he felt that was three seconds too slow. He curses at himself for being less than perfect.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Ah, I get it. Hes been working in manual labour for a long time, his body has a strong base for taking hits and athleticism, but his lack of nutrition has been holding him back. But now, the mana that Ive been supplying him with has somewhat made up for that. Its spiking his metabolism and growth, that he had lost out on. Hes still at the lowest of the low rank-wise, but hes taken a few steps forward just by signing the contract with me. Ive never seen the effects of a few drops of mana be this drastic I guess even I have things to learn. This is what happens if I constantly cherry-pick only talented individuals. I lose out on one whole side of the teaching experience. Though I dont see how this should have affected his Charisma much if at all, he does seem more collected than before? Its not passiveness, but relaxation. Maybe that has something to do with it. Still, even if hes not the weakest anymore, he has to be approaching his limit. Theres no way he can take another blow. I should bring an end to this. Hakuro opens his mouth, ready to shout a command, but he holds his tongue as something catches his eye. Yugais body is now overflowing with Mystic Power. Its an absurd amount for his level, hes practically coated in a bonfire of it, and its growing with each passing moment as if someone is gradually pouring more fuel for the flame. Hakuro is slowly figuring out the answer to his enigma. Hey, Mr Vivas. Punch me with that jab of yours again. So far, Yugai has always made the first move, but he now asks for a proactive action from his opponent, and he requests it without fear. It only takes a moment for Raimon to mull it over. He cracks the whip that is his hurricane fast jab at Yugai for the fifth time today. It collides with Yugais left temple. Yugais head falls, but his feet stand upright. His upper body is now bent. It looks as if he is bowing to a superior at work the way a Japanese salaryman would. As if his body has been bent in half and is going to snap in two with just a light breeze, and when it comes, the legs will shatter into dust. Hes about to break. At least, that is how it looks. Grrooaarrrgghhh! Yugais head rises, and his left eye has changed from hazel brown to shimmering steel. The bonfire of power has turned into a rocket launching to space. The hungry gaze from the singular eye bares its fangs at Raimon. A hawk has been playing with what it thought was nothing more than a mangy kitten or at best a tiger cub. It had foolishly forgotten that even a baby tiger is still a tiger. Not something to be trifled with. It may not have power or technique but it has an undying will and an endless desire to dominate the land. Yugai raises his right fist to the heavens and it turns completely silver up to his wrist. Hes going for that wild swing again that broke the Gale Force Barrier. He knows it works so hell strike with the same method but apply more force this time. Yugais face becomes crazed with a lust for battle. Raimons lips crack widely in response, as if he is staring into a mirror. His olive eyes coat themselves with a radioactive glow to clash with the drawn blade in the irises of the boy. Big mistake, kid. Youve set a fire under me. When I see something like that, I have to respond in kind! Raimon pulls back his right arm and readies it by his waist. Hes preparing the signature move, that had given him constant victories in the ring, but now amped up by both magic and ki and thus attained a whole new level of destructive power. A gale blasts across Raimon. The zippers on his trousers are undone, and the lower sections drop to the floor, turning them into boxing trunks. The clothes on his upper body are unbuttoned by the same winds and are thrown away. His muscles that have been trained for years since his youth are exposed, and they scream out like a bird of prey. The veins are bursting. ''Come close and youll pay dearly.'' The final piece of the sequence. Two large red gloves are thrown from the sky and land perfectly over his hands. Raimon had transformed into the boxer who once took on the world, and won. Raimon! Stop! You do not have- Nenes voice is drowned out by a howling wind. So fucking cool! Magic is the best! Yugais excitement erupts like a volcano. Childish passion has overtaken his rationality completely. Watch your language! Raimon grew up in a rather conservative home, but despite his warnings and discipline, he desperately wants to drop a few f-bombs of his own. He is ready to fire. The Cyclone Crusher. His signature corkscrew punch. His arm muscles compound, wind up, tighten, and load themselves, like a bullet in the chamber of a sniper rifle. The attack is in essence a counterblow. He always takes the best of his opponent, before knocking them out. Its how he proves hes number one without a doubt in his and the loving audience''s minds. A flapping sound enters Yugais eardrums from below. His eyes darted momentarily to the source. Raimons boots, the feathers on them, are moving on their own! Batting all at once to create a roaring sound like the taking off of a jet fighter. A storm is coming, no form of defense or shelter can protect you can and will be ripped to shreds, and to run away? You risk being caught in its spiral of death without any protection at all. Yugai can swear he hears the laughter of an older man coming from the resonating waves, that are gradually growing louder and louder. Yugai understands that if he gets hit, its over. So he comes to a decision. Swing before Raimon can charge at him. Yugais fist comes down first. It misses. It falls flat, and swipes down. Hes in the pitching pose again. Did he miss because of the lack of depth perception and vision from his missing eye? The same thought strikes Hakuro, Raimon, and Nene at the exact same time. Raimon has to hide his disappointment. He was hoping for something more. Oh well. Too bad. To me, my Nubero! Take this! Mystic Art: Cyclone Crusher! The gun fired and the sound barrier got broken at once, as the deadly weapon was let off its leash. A fist, fuelled by a storm that portends death and defeat. Laughter like thunder cracks the atmosphere, as Raimons boots stomp into the ground and march forth, one after another, in a one-two step that grants his attack even more speed and power. Its on a collision course for the dead centre of Yugais skull. If it connects it will kill, there is no doubt. Ive got you now! Everyone had been so focused on Raimons fist that nobody had noticed that Yugais left leg had been dragged back and focused. The baseball pitch had seamlessly transitioned into a soccer kick in the split second no one had been paying him any attention. At the tip of his shoes, where his left big toe should be, there was a sharp silver spike poking out. The same talon that Yugai used for the Tiger Sting on his left index finger was now on his foot instead. There''s no reason he couldnt replicate the technique and repurpose it as a kick instead of a thrust from his hands, and so, he simply did it when the idea came to him. The trajectory of this kick? Raimons crotch. Itll stab him in the balls if the attack lands. The corkscrew punch will land and smash Yugais head first, but its quite possible that a post mortem final attack can be performed from this position. He is willing to die simply for the chance to land one painful strike against a far superior opponent. Its actual insanity. Thats the final piece of the puzzle Hakuro needs to solve the issue of the unknown something nagging at him. I see! The boy is just extraordinarily emotionally unstable! Hes been holding it in all this time and now that hes decided to express himself hes going berserk! Thats why his Mystic Power is spiking too! Hes feeling a thousand different thoughts and emotions and letting them loose! Hes just like an extremely reactive chemical that when exposed to the right condition goes completely nuclear! He has no control or limits to his newfound resolve to enjoy life and the end result is this! Just going completely crazy with magic and turning himself into a force of nature! Pure madness incarnate! The fist of the former heavyweight king of boxing is about to drop like a guillotine upon Yugais head! Both men unleash war cries as their attacks are almost complete. Freeze. The air turns deathly cold in an instant. A chill that rivals the tundra at midnight. The killer punch stops just before it lands. A literal hairs breadth away. Yugais foot has also halted in its tracks an inch away from its designated destination. All the kinetic force of their bodies had been robbed and devoured by the spectre of winter. Someone, or something, has brought complete silence to both of them. The fight has been stopped with just a whisper from a man not even in sight. Neither Raimon nor Yugai can move even a single part of their body. Not even batting an eyelash is possible under the dominion of this emperors decree. Hakuro, I see you have not changed. You really do prefer sending your Disciples through the school of hard knocks and trials by fire. If you wanted my attention you could have simply phoned ahead of time. The modern age is full of such wonders. Theres no need for all this. A second voice, absolutely unlike the voice that had commanded an end to the fight, it was deep and slithers with words from the lungs that boom like drums. The cat looks towards the doors of Club Olympus. Aodori, its good to hear your voice. It angers me in just the right ways. Theres a smile on the lips of the cat that reveals its fangs. The first voice that had ended the fight now chimes in. Its softer in tone but fairly deep, theres majesty within it. A man who knows much and carries incredible strength and charm. Raimon, Nubero. You should know better. You will not pull something like this again. Its not a threat. Its the truth. As for you, Izumi Yugai and Hakuro, welcome to Club Olympus. Im eager to see what you can do. You may enter. The air returns to normal. Yugai and Raimon drop their fists and are forced to relax. Their passion and power had been robbed from them at a lightning-fast speed. They cannot defy the origin of the voice. Raimon knows it well, it belongs to the manager of the club, who is both his employer and the strongest man he has ever known. Greater than even himself. Raimon approaches the double set of doors and opens them wide, walks in, and turns around to look at Yugai. Congratulations. I had a lot of fun. Theres no malice or resentment. Its genuine praise. Yeah, me too. Kinda mad it ended prematurely but well, Im ready for all sorts of adventure. We can always do it again another time. Theres a playful spark between the three eyes. Raimon whistles, as his gloves fly off his fists, and his clothes are carried back to him and gradually reassembled. In just a few seconds he has properly dressed again, returning to resembling a bouncer or barkeep than a boxer. Hakuro leaps back onto Yugais right shoulder and whispers. You know he could have killed you without even trying before you could do anything at all, he was just humouring you. You do know that, right? A swift response is given. Of course. Matter of fact. Im so pissed. He wasnt even trying. It was more like a game of chess than a fight and I still lost horribly. I have to get stronger. I cant forget what victory tastes like, if I do I think Ill end up like I was before today. I need it to win! It finally dawns on Hakuro. This disciple will be more than a handful and perhaps his greatest challenge yet. It will never be a dull moment when the die has been cast. At this rate what awaited them both would be a wonderland of insanity and impulses. Even the Mystic that has lived for aeons is not sure how to feel about that. Yugai takes his first steps into Olympus. His steps resonate and sing through the walls as he approaches his destiny. Its faint. Like the sound of small stones being skipped upon the surface of a lake. One step at a time. Small ripples in the rich river of fate. A man approaches to meet him. A wooden clacking sound sings back towards the young man as the figure approaches. Singular steps sounded like the rushing of a waterfall that steadily makes its move to encounter the presence that has disturbed the tranquillity of the rivers that lead to it. The man is struck by the radiance as he walks under a golden chandelier and places both feet at the entrance and makes eye contact with Yugai and Hakuro. He glides out of fantasy and the far past as he stands straight and lands into the reality of the here and now, taking the unknown wonders of the world he had come from with him for all to witness. Chapter 6: Welcome to Olympus Greetings. I am the manager of this establishment. Guan Lang, it is a pleasure to meet you, Izumi Yugai. I hope we can have a mutually beneficial relationship going forward. A bow followed by the presenting of a white business card with his name written in gold. The back is yellow with black ink making out Club Olympus. Yugai takes a good look at the man who had appeared to greet him, he could instantly tell that the man before him now was someone else. By no means or words ordinary. The first thing he notices is his eyes. Shining cerulean blue filled with as much mercy as there is water in the world, but under the surface of the clear pool on a summer day, there is a glint of sharpness and danger. Twin fangs of ice, ready to be drawn should the need arise. They stare directly into your soul, seeking permission to witness the light and shadows held close to a persons heart. His face is quite fair, theres an elegance to it that speaks of care and attention to his condition, but you can see that hes weathered harsh experiences. But he conquered them all. Not as white as snow, merely because the sun has lashed him and found its fists far too light to leave any meaningful marks. A perfect balance that is genuine with just a light pattering of makeup, though he really shouldnt need any. His smile was as bright as it was subtle. A pleasant and calming sensation washes over those who witness it, just the right amount of hospitality. He''s perhaps in his late twenties or his early thirties, but its practically impossible to tell. He could be very young, but had simply seen much or he could be quite aged, but held a youthful body and spirit. Whatever the case may be, Yugai knows that Lang is his elder and stands about three inches taller. His long and luscious hair was pulled back gracefully, rising into a bun, held together with a pin, but the sphere cannot contain the majesty that bursts downwards in long streaks of wispy ink like a shadow. The mane of a dragon who has found that a mountain is too small to stay sheltered within. The locks reach down to his waist and show no signs of slowing down until heaven and earth are swallowed within it. His clothes, upon the first gaze, would seem typical. An impeccably clean white suit jacket with a black undershirt visible beneath it. However, if you pay attention to the back and the end, youll notice that the back extends, and not in just the typical twin-tails you associate with butlers, but a flowing fabric that curls inwards, making them seem like ancient robes if he were to unbutton the upper section of the outfit. On the left side of his chest, there''s a red camellia attached that sparkles as if freshly picked while morning dew falls from its petals. It gives his outfit a little more punch, but the piece that finalised his appearance shimmers around his neck. A long tie made of snakeskin that carries a mix of azure and cyan shades among its scales. A man who can be as delicate as a feather, or as vicious as a beast, depending on what is demanded of him. A fierce but compassionate hero, the type from a storybook. Yugai took the card from him and put it down his pocket, and, the moment he did, Lang extended his right arm for a handshake. The younger man grips the hand of the older one. Theres a strong and firm grip from Lang, but also a sense of control as their hands rise and fall that let Yugai know theres no ill intent here, despite the force and weight he feels as their skin makes contact. Im Izumi Yugai, though you seem to already know that. I dont quite understand why Im here, but Im glad to meet you too. Theres a more casual approach from the younger man, but its clear with the glimmer in Langs eyes that theres no need for formalities with him, but he appreciates conducting himself with them. Then, the booming voice like thunder filled the air again. I see. Youre not telling him anything beyond the bare minimum. You certainly do not coddle your students, but some leniency would be good from time to time. Youve never really understood the concept of proper balance. Yugai cranes his neck left and right looking for the source. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Oh? You cannot see me? Focus some Mystic Power into that eye of yours. Yugai does as the mysterious voice instructs, and fills his left eye with magical force. Its still shimmering silver from the fight but the added spice being applied now brings forth even further radiance. The tie around Langs neck. It moves and slithers gently in place as it takes in deep and slow breaths. A pair of yellow eyeballs the colour of lightning peers outwards. A pink tongue flickers from its lips every other second. At first, it would be easily mistaken as a snake, but upon closer inspection, you would see four tiny legs that hold five pure pitch black talons each, four stretching outwards and a single one heading back. Now you can see. I am Aodori, child. Hakuro is a near merciless teacher. Do try not to expire in his care. Yugai takes about three seconds to process what he is seeing and hearing. He internalises it, and accepts it completely as his new sense of normal. Nice to meet you, Aodori. Thank you, but Ill be fine. I asked for this life. The serpent seems shocked by the response and snickers. Oh, youve finally found a Disciple crazy enough to put up with you! Dont chase him away Hakuro, youll never get a chance like this again! The booming thunderous voice is filled with a powerful joy, like the smile of a grandfather doting on their favourite grandchild. I see you still prefer the flashy ones yourself, Aodori heh. Just you wait. The cat and the lizard glare at one another, with fangs drawn into smiles. Oh. What a beautiful friendship. Im envious. Yugai closes his eyes as he adds his grin to the ring. Urgh. You ruined it. Alright, lets get down the business. Hakuro turns foul immediately. Aodori, allow Yugai to be an employee at this residence. The voice of the sapient cat is too prideful to imply it is a request, but is careful enough in tone to walk the fine line of the words not exactly being demanding and stay on the grounds of a strong suggestion. You dont need to keep your snarls from me. I remember. I owe you one, and this is your way of claiming the payment. I have no issues with this. In fact, I think Lang here is more than happy to accommodate some new personnel. A smile and a nod from the manager of the club. Theres no issue at all. While were not exactly hurting for new faces, a person like you can certainly make something incredible happen. Lang uses his thumbs and index fingers to form a rectangle as if prepping for a camera shoot. Yes, things will become much more amusing with you around. Lang relaxes his fingers and turns his head to face the back. Xiaomei! A friendly call to someone close to his heart, and that person slowly walks towards him from a room in the back. Da Ge Im working on Hibari and he needs a lot of work yknow, its summer... Whats the problem? A young woman, perhaps about twenty-five or so, casually strolls towards the entrance. Her hair is a healthy chestnut brown that reaches to her shoulders, a hairband keeps her bangs from getting in the way of her vision. She stands a few inches below Yugai. Shes dressed in a thin sky blue dress with a white apron over the front of her body. It has several large pockets and each seems to hold fashion tools, scissors, combs, gel, brushes and tubes of makeup. Her eyes are a similar, but slightly lighter brown shade to go with her hair but despite her youthful appearance, Yugai sees something, a sense of tiredness and reluctance with a sprinkle of joy. Just enough of a dose that it keeps her spirits alive with a tender expression that taps against the heart. Were hiring this guy. His name is Izumi Yugai. We need your makeup magic to do its work. Give him a total overhaul. Theres a sigh from the woman as she looks at Yugai skeptically and shoots Lang a look that practically screams what have you dragged in this time? This is not the first, nor will it be the last unreasonable request. Really? Urgh, a scruffy bum like this? Im so yeah, I think I can do something but you have any role you need him to fulfil? An image he has to sell? Her eyes scan Yugai from top to bottom and anyone can clearly see there are gears beginning to spin. Lang snaps the fingers of his right hand. Ah, Ive got it! Hes the brutally honest type. Lets make him look like a bit of a bad boy. The girl rolls her eyes. I mean, sure, but wouldnt he compete with Kentarou then? Lang pats her back. Its fine, its fine! Kentarou isnt the type to get mad with a little competition, and besides, I think Yugai here will have enough of a distinct flavour to draw his own crowd. Fine. If you say so... Izumi, right? Come with me. Chapter 7: Born Anew Yugai followed the woman through the halls to the back. Past the shimmering marble floors, the impeccable black couches, and the luminous and numerous chandeliers lighting the path from above. The chatter of men with sharp fresh faces, of women with tired bodies but open hearts. The clanging of glass, the fizzle of bubbles, a heavy but sweet scent that gets the tongue wagging and the body heated. A place that coalesced the troubles of the day to day with desperate hopes and dreams that searched for a fairytale ending from night to dawn. The men were dressed in a variety of ways. Some were head to toe dressed in suits and business attire made to impress and catch the eyes. Sleek and direct with a classic punch behind them. Others were wrapped in far more comfortable and expressive clothing that hanged far more loosely, but even these outfits carried an undeniable sharpness to them. The style carried by these men was a choice they made by themselves, worthy sheathes for the blade carried in their smiles that sought the flames of the hearts that adored them with pinpoint accuracy. Finally, the woman stopped and opened a large mahogany door. She turned the knob and flung it open and walked into a room filled with white tiles and bright lights. The room stretched on far and wide. Pure white salon chairs stood by clear mirrors and dazzling basins. Sit. The woman grabbed a barbers cape as Yugai sat in the chair as instructed. Hakuro leapt off his shoulder and walked towards the door they had just come from. Feel free to relax Yugai. This will take a while. Ill be back when its done. The cat did not touch the knob of the door but it opened itself for him all the same, and he pranced out to take care of some business with old friends. Im Guan Fen. The dumb managers little sister. Just call me Fen, its easier. Now, Im going to give you a makeover you old man. Trust me, Im good. Ill make you look like a respectable member of society, a total stud too, but none of that shit will matter if youre bad at talking. Her voice and posture altered completely. From soft to hard. From lax to heavy. Fen grabbed Yugais head and pressed it against the sink before him. Ive got to wash all of this first do me a favour and just Fen stopped. There was far too little resistance. She was in a bad mood and whenever she got liked this being aggressive helped her vent, but she could tell immediately that the man she laid hands on was devoid of strength. Urgh hah hah His voice was hoarse and harsh. She lifted him back up and stared. An eye of silver and a body that looked ripe to collapse. ...You, what were you doing just now? The single metal iris darted towards her. Brawling with your bouncer. It took most of his strength just to say those words. Fen clicked her tongue. ...Hes brought another crazy one. Just my luck. Cant he bring a more handsome normal guy in? Alright, fine. Go to sleep. Itll be a pain to move your head around but theres no helping it. Yugai uttered a foul groan like a child being told to go to bed early but stopped midway. ...Why is my eye grey now? A very simple and curious question. Oh, that? I dont have a Mystic paired to me myself, but apparently using magic will turn your eyes into the colour of the type you use. If you stop using it, itll go back to normal, but thats never really happened. Everyone is far too used to it, its like breathing to them, so they all have these weird eye colours now. People sometimes mistake us for some sort of cosplay club. Fen sighs, there was never a dull moment at this place, and while it brought her many smiles as well as many headaches. Yugai shut his eye and laid back against the chair. He had fallen to sleep completely in a mere second, his body finally gave out from exhaustion. ...Sigh. Alright. Ill start with his face first. Fen grabbed a can of shaving cream, sprayed the contents into her hands and rubbed them together before scrubbing his face until all his facial hair was coated in white foam. Itchy. Been a while since I had to deal with someone with rough hair. She took the blade to his face and carefully and gently ran it across his skin with slow but thorough motions that were carefully calculated from experience and her dynamic vision. Just a few swings. Oh, wow. Youre actually quite cute now that I got the fuzz out of the way are you actually younger than me? Now here comes the harder part, but if your actual face is like this it might be easier than I first thought. Whats a good look for a pretty punk? Hundreds of designs flashed through her mind made of countless combinations of attire until she found it. The best match for the model brought to her. She doused his head in water, lathered his hair in shampoo and got to work. It took her about an hour to get everything finished, though she needed some help from another to get Yugai dressed and coordinated while unconscious, but when she was done she smiled. It was one of her masterpieces. Less is more. Simple but wonderful. Now it was up to him to be a good musician for the instruments she picked out. She grabbed a bucket of ice that was kept to hold wine and champagne bottles and threw it all over him. Wahhhh! He woke with a jolt and to an unfamiliar face in the mirror. ... Silence from Yugai. He first touched his face with both hands. A bit of powder, just a smidge came off onto his fingertips. He blinked with his one eye, though he felt as if he still had both his eyelids. He then brought his fingers to his hair and traced through them until he felt a sharper more collected point at the back. He slowly stood up from the chair and looked at his own body from top to bottom, both reflected in the glass and from the light in his eye. A stranger stared back at him. A stranger with an eye of steel and a smile of shocked joy. His hair had streaks of blonde in it that was not there before, stripes of lightning that ran through dark clouds in the night. They lead to the back of his head to form a ponytail that floated in the breeze and marched freely like a steed on far wide plains. His clothes had been changed completely while he slept, a fresh white shirt with a circular top, while standard looking was made of some quality material that was soft and flexible. Thrown atop it was a black duster jacket, it looked slightly worn but that added to the appeal of it, a dark shine that had been enhanced through hardship, that had ridden the winds and ended up battered but never beaten. He now had red jeans as bloody as a title challenger wrapped around the lower end of his body, they seemingly gripped tightly but Yugai could feel that his legs were in fact free. As he moved his body he noticed a very faint ringing sound sing to his ears. There were several small metal chains attached to the back and the pockets of the jeans. At first glance, they seemed normal but because of his Metal Form, he knew. These were no ordinary decorations. They were made of something almost otherworldly. Though tiny, they were a gift with a hidden purpose. Diamonds that held unappraised values. ...I really was reborn, huh? Yugai crooked his neck back and shot a smile of thanks, grinning with his teeth, the fangs of a baby tiger. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He turned and checked himself out as much as he could from each direction and angle he could, he even finished his inspection with an improvised dance twirl. Is this really me? I didnt know I was this handsome. Huh, you even gave me new sports shoes. Fen chortled at his words and newfound confidence. You punk! I did all this for you! Youll be needing tune-ups all the time! Make-up, skin conditioning, exercise, diet, and fashion! Ill be in charge of it until you can get it down! Fen slammed her left fist against a sink. Prove it. Prove you have the right to shine like a star with the style I gave you! If you can, Ill make you even more amazing next time! The woman was usually tired and relaxed but when it came to her works of art she held no quarter. Wait, you changed my clothes! You stripped me! A-are you into me? Are you some sort of mole-. Fen immediately whacked him on the right side of his head. Why would you come to such random and stupid conclusions!? Somethings wrong with your brain! Its not something I havent seen before and anyway, I got Hibari to do it instead, dumbass! Who is Hibari? Yugai only then realised a third person was in the room and turned to meet them. Hibari was sitting on a nearby single-seated couch, their feet on the cushion and their knees raised. A tall and slender beauty with sparkling blonde hair and sapphire eyes. The glare was completely different from that of Guan Langs. The man before held an icy but loving sharpness like a lake under a spotlight, in comparison Hibaris pupils were deep and inviting. They screamed to those who made contact with them, the vastness of the sky above and the abyss below. Staring into a starry sky or a mirage reflected upon the surface of shadows. You are swallowed by their beauty and instead of fighting, you find yourself sinking into them with a smile on your face. The bangs across Hibaris face were rather long and the hair swam back and up a current until it formed a large bun held together by a single needle pin which ran horizontally through its length. Two long strands of hair flowed over Hibaris ears. The ears themselves have orange bauble earrings digging into the earlobes. Hibaris lips were a glossy pink, pronounced, and invited any who dared to try and take a bite of the two luscious fruits on display. Yugai understood quickly, this was a person who is both predator and prey all at once. A showstopper, thrill-seeker, the star of the stage, and they will not relinquish their mic without a fight. Despite being able to sense this fierce fighting spirit, the only two words that his mind found to describe the being before them were, so soft. That would be me hunny! My, what a man you are under those clothes! It was my treat! ...Oh I was admiring your body structure, not your hehehe. Hibari winks and a crackle of electricity runs through Yugai as Fen slaps her own face with her palm. Nice to meet you. Im Hibari, the number four host of this here club! Im always happy to meet a fresh face. Welcome to the team. Hibari grabs his right hand with their own and shakes it firmly. Oh, nice to meet you too. Im Izumi Yugai, I guess Ill start working here from today? I wait. He connected the dots in his mind together. Host. A male worker in an entertainment service that gives women emotional support. This was the definition he internalised long ago. He looked at Hibari again who tilted their head, closed their eyes and fired off a critical heart-piercing smile of mischief. Yugais gaze looked at Hibaris chest. A purple and white striped cheerleading vest, just the top and nothing else with it. Below at Hibaris waist. A long kimono robe, but specifically it seemed to just be the part below where the sash would be. It was dyed black silk that looked and felt luxurious, a pattern of various and vibrant colours exploded in all directions across that dark canvas. Yugai realised the colours were fireworks. The skirt-like robe was the night sky and the plumes of the rainbow were explosive rounds of coloured gunpowder. He could see half of Hibaris alabaster white thighs and legs, this kimono was quite similar to a bathrobe. Finally, her feet. Oddly, a pair of less fashionable and practical orange running shoes that seemed to be a bit worn, but clearly cleaned and cared for. Looking carefully now, Yugai realised that Hibari was significantly taller than him and had the physique of a runner, but seemed to be as delicate as a flower, if there was muscle you could not see it with your naked eyes. For the lack of better words, Hibari seemed tender and sweet but carried themselves with unbridled confidence. As you may have guessed, I am in fact a man! Wahahaha! Are you shocked? Did you fall for me at first sight? Hibaris laugh echoes through the room and Yugai blinked in response, ...well, its true I thought you were a woman but why would I be shocked? The air suddenly caught a cold breeze. Hibari opened their eyes again and stared into Yugais window of steel. ...Ah, youre the free and accepting type, not because of principles but because you think people should live their lives how they want to. Of course, I enjoy types like you, hunny, but sigh, I cant have fun messing with your cute little head. The face of a person resisting their urges to love me and getting all red and embarrassed, I love that! Its just so heart-pounding and fun! Hibari clapped his hands together and smiled. Ah, well, I did say I was a man, but strictly speaking hm, how do I put this? I prefer something like this. Hibari slowly exhaled and then inhaled before opening their mouth again. I have a masculine fighting soul and the heart of a longing maiden. That is who I am. You can call me he or she or whatever in your mind or with your voice, I take it all as a form of compliment! However, dont neglect one side of me in favour of the other. Ill get really mad. Just call me Hibari, if you really dont wanna say things like him or her. That being said, Hibari smiled with his face with a cocky and courageous charm and then tilted her head to smirk with the allure of a woman whose eyes have caught you in a trance. Charisma. Yugai let the word slip out of his mouth. Teach me that charisma, Hibari! Yugai gripped his hands to hold Hibaris own wrapped hands. Hibari blinked. This caught her off guard but he recovered quickly. Ahahaha! How cute and earnest! Cant say I hate that hunny! Id love to but Langs assigned you to shadow under Kentarou. Be ready, that guy is as harsh as a drill sergeant. You wont get a wink of sleep when hes got you in his sights. Especially, since well, he would never have agreed to this without Langs command. I pity you, really. If you ever need to vent about how hes a bad person, feel free to come to my table! Ah, but itll cost you! I dont like cheap drinks or boring conversations! Youll need to really lighten it up! The door slammed open. A figure in the shadows. His voice ripped through the room. Silence. You always talk too much and never get to the point until its too late. A man approached. Crackling intensity popped through the atmosphere as he looked at Yugai. ...But, Hibari is right. Im a terrible teacher, but if the boss says jump Ill ask how high. I hope you have guts, or youll be begging to die. I dont half-ass anything, and I expect you to do the same. Get ready for hell. Chapter 8: The Hound from Hell The man who stood in the doorway was around 5,8 and was resting his back against the door frame. His body was rather lean, a tight black set of sportswear, a shirt and trunks that upon closer inspection showed well-worked muscles, especially in the lower areas of his body, the abdominals and his currently present bare flesh displayed the muscles that composed of the legs. These especially were arduously trained and anyone could tell that with just a glance. His choice of footwear was a pair of black rubber boots with a single yellow stripe on each that starts at the front and rides up the middle. Continuing the black trend his face had a mask covering the lower half, with white fangs drawn on it, resembling the jaws of a hound. Finally, Yugais eye met a ruby red pair glaring at him with crackling coldness. There was a hardness to them and overall they are quite narrow adding to the pressure they exert, to top it off a vertical cut scar hung over the right eye. His hair was fair long held up spiky though a fair bit of it fell down the right side of his face and just like the rest of his style it was raven black. You look like a ninja. The words fell out of Yugais head without thought. It only takes a second for those cold red eyes to sharpen into spears forged from the fires of contempt. The man took two large steps that rumbled the earth and stopped directly in front of Yugai, standing about an inch taller but there was enough difference for Kentarou to bore into the younger and shorter mans skull with just a flash of his face. Even with the mask obscuring his facial expressions, everyone in the room could see from the glare in his eyes that he was scowling with his fangs under the blanket of shadow. It would be obvious to anyone who saw him at that moment. Lesson one. The air is torn to shreds. A heavy and thick black boot with laces landed on Yugais left shoulder, a mere hairs breadth away from his neck before he could even blink. Dont, ever, and I mean, ever, call me that again. The younger man nodded, not showing fear but understanding. It took Kentarou aback for a moment and he lets out a tch with his teeth before he drew back his leg and lowered it to rest again. That kick was faster than Raimons jabs. Thats incredible. Yugais face and body did not show it but he had been filled with excitement from watching the threat bring its blade fraught with danger to him. A need to challenge began to spread seeds in his heart, waiting to bloom into battle. Urgh. Just my luck. Kentarou turned around and sighed. Actually, no, youre less of a pain than the others. Itll just take a while for me to get used to your style of antics. Fen, you got those stains out of my clothes yet? The beautician sighed and headed through another door on the opposite side and came back with a jacket and trousers made of light blue denim, its still dark and wet with water. Why cant you just ask Aramis or my brother to take the stains out? Why do you always have to be stubborn! Kentarous eye flashed again with annoyance but then softened with an apology. ...I cant. My pride stops me every time. I know Im a nuisance like this, and Im sorry for the inconvenience. Ill make it up to you later. Fen groaned and handed the slightly dripping pile into his arms. His cold stare suddenly came alive with a flicker of flame. The room began to heat up gradually, his gaze practically bore a hole into the clothes he held in his arms. Something travelled from his boot, then up the length of his right leg and then his torso, until it rested on his left shoulder. It was a small coal-black lizard with prominent paint like red spots across its body, though it had a relatively long tail that bore no spots at all. It opened its eyes and revealed two large fluorescent green spheres that locked onto Yugai. It opened its jaws to speak and let out a calm and dignified voice that was pleasant to the ears. You are Yugai? Hakuros new Disciple hm. Interesting. I didnt think hed take someone like you under his wings. I am Salamandra, Juros Mystic. Its very nice to make your acquaintance. He is a bit rough at first, but under all that black armour hes a real softie. The hot glare smoulders over to the talkative salamander, one of anger that had been tempered over many years, and was resisted with a similar tolerance. The green eyes closed as if the creature, having said its piece, decided to sleep. Uh, thank you! Its a pleasure to meet you! Im Izumi Yugai! A courteous bow was the quickfire response. A bead of sweat dropped off everyones brows. Yugais eyes darted to the pile of clothes. The dripping had stopped. Their colour was now completely bright from top to bottom, not a single hint of water remained. It had dried in mere seconds and as it did, Kentarous eyes relaxed and glimmered with a touch of gentleness. By the way, you just called him Juro, I thought his name was Kentarou? The man in question sighed in disgust as an amused giggle came from a couch. Oh? Hunny? You dont even know about that and youre joining us? Hosts usually have an alias when working. Giving out your real name in a nightlife business can be quite dangerous you know. So, what usually happens with hosts such as ourselves, we make a new name, usually as a reference to an anime. So, Hibari isnt my real name. Its Kazama Kohaku, but while were out here, remember to use our stage names. Isnt it cool though? It makes us feel like rock stars! By the by, Juro he is ranked second among us. Yugai blinked twice before his lips twisted up into a wide and innocent smile brimming and overflowing with joy. Oh, so his name is Juro Yeah! It is cool! Rockstars! Im a rockstar! I should think up a cool name! A nice reference that also captures who I am. Hm Kentarous eyes filled up with disgust and Hibari continued her giggling while Fen looked tired of it all. Hmmmmmmmmm! Yugai was thinking very hard but he couldnt decide, there are plenty of amazing namesakes he could model himself after, but then it struck him like a bolt from the blue. Are you a scorpion? The words of Raimon Vivas when they fought. Oh. He meant this. Yugai conjured the silver talon over his left index finger, it had only been a day but it was now coming to him naturally. Yeah. I guess this does make me like him. Hes got some good taste. Alright! My name as a host will be Milo! He pointed his outstretched finger to the lights above which bounced off the sharp metal like the rays of the sun. Hibari applauded with a smile and Kentarou rolled his eyes. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Oh, Kentarou! Whats your name from theres a ton of Kentarous! Kentarou started to get himself dressed in his newly dry clothes, first he put on his jeans on top of his black shorts, and then threw the denim jacket on but did not put in place the large golden buttons on the right side, leaving it open and thus still exposed the tight black shirt that helped show off his body. ...I dont tell people what its from until I trust them. Its also embarrassing if they put two and two together too quickly. Lets leave it at that. If you earn my respect, Ill tell you. For once, his voice seemed not to have any animosity. Okay! Ill wait! Yugais eye beamed with confidence and anticipation. Kentarous eyes made a fast look of dismay. Gah, youre like a puppy or a kitten! Dammit! He seemed embarrassed all of a sudden and forced himself to look away. Oh! Thats quite a compliment coming from him. Kentarou has a big soft spot for animals. Hibaris voice chimed in. She was enjoying this scene quite a bit. Oh shut up you cockatoo! Cmon! Follow me already, I dont have all day! With that Kentarou stormed out of the room while Yugai followed him with a blissful expression of joy. Its nice to hear people like me! Fen coughed red at that. Yes, a puppy indeed. Kentarou marched forward trying not to look behind him. He was losing his cool, the hyperactive Yugai was breaking his usual rigid demeanour rather easily. It wasnt hard to shield up against women but for a grown man to be acting this way caught him off-guard. He stopped in front of an elevator and pulled out a red key card and tapped it against an IC reader. The doors of the lift opened with a calming ding and revealed a golden interior. Wow! Yugais eye shined at the sight. Kentarou let out a heavy sigh as he realised that the boy will act this way to everything and he would have to put up with it. He stepped into it followed by his new apprentice. The elevator seemed to have no buttons besides a large white one with G written in ruby red. Yugai tilted his head in confusion and Kentarou decided to squash the curiosity before it could leap out of his mouth. The elevator goes to a room depending on the keycard you use. The top four hosts have personalised chambers to have more private sessions with VIP clientele. So theres no need to have any buttons besides the ground floor one, which is technically just the main hall since the actual ground floor would be the aquarium. The elevator descended as they talked. Wait, the top four? So its kind of like you guys are the Four Heavenly Kings! Kentarou could only grimace as the phrase hit his eardrums. Its so overplayed to use that but Kyouma made it our moniker anyway and everyone started using it. Guh. Calming music played a merry tune. Kentarou inhales as he finds more words to silence his energetic partner. Im also going to cut off the next question that youll have when this elevator stops. Yes. Its bigger on the inside than on the outside. Its magic. The lift stops the doors open with a ding and revealed a room filled with red and golden colours decorating a gigantic floor that stretched on as far as he could see. Kentarou walked out and breathed in relief. To him, this place was close to a home away from home even if he used it for work. Red couches with golden rests adorned the space. Black tables filled the space between them. There were even several fridges by them and a few stacked bookshelves in each corner. He saw that there were several boomboxes and karaoke machines to the east as well. Oh, though I will have parties here on a rare occasion, which is why I have so many seats. The floor was made of mostly white mosaic mixed with calming blue. Yugai cautiously advanced as he looked at this one room that seemed to be bigger than the whole building outside. His heart began to pound like a child visiting Disneyland for the first time. There was literal magic in this place, in the walls, the floor, and the air. Ive been waiting for you. It took you over two hours to get ready. True warriors need not fawn over their appearances so much, but I guess in your case it cannot be helped. Ill consider it a personal challenge. Hakuro walked casually towards his Disciple and then with one bounce fell on Yugais right shoulder and took his usual spot for himself yet again. Salamandra, Ive heard good things about you. The lizard opened its eyes again to greet the cat. Likewise. Im honoured to be in your presence. The head of the salamander lowers to submit honour to his fellow Mystic. Im surprised. Fire Form Mystics such as yourself are usually a lot more aggressive or flamboyant. Youre nothing like that darned bird. A burst of wheezing laughter comes from the lizard. Ill take that as a compliment. He is a troublesome one even by our standards, that I will agree upon, but please do not tell him that. The cat closed its eyes, raised its front right paw and licked it twice before lowing it back down. I will not. Id rather not see the fool again if I can help it but knowing fate, he cannot be avoided. Okay then, its time for your pupil to teach mine. Yugai slammed his right fist into his chest. Alright! Make me a mans man! Oh, wait, uh a ladies man! A playboy ladykiller! Im up for any challenge! Kentarou exhaled in disbelief again but mustered the strength to respond seriously. Alright. Lesson one. Make sure the girl gets a horrible first impression of you. Yugai stumbled back and his eye shut open and closed rapidly like the shutter of a camera belonging to an excited amateur photographer. You heard me. When you study under me, you copy my style. This is how I do things. Keep up, newbie. There it was. A smile in his eyes. It was his turn to have some fun. Chapter 9: The Ears of the Night Let me rephrase that. When I mean make a bad impression, I mean to make a strong impression. Be mysterious, collected, and wild. Kentarou took a seat on a chair and gestured downwards for Yugai to do the same who followed the suggestion obediently. Thats a contradiction, isnt it? Being wild and collected. Kentarou sneered at the question. Of course. Humans are contradictory, besides this shouldnt be too hard for you. Youve already learned to balance your contradictions and feed their flames. Yugai lit up with those words. Ah! Youre right! Mystic Arts are the same! Wild but collected wild wild wild collected collected... collected The steel in his right eye flared up as he searched his mind for the concepts distilled to their core. He seemingly entered a trance as he snatched the essence of the words and brought them deep into his heart so that they may meld as one. A predator on its back legs whose eyes do not show a hint of fear. The beast within that begs to be let out but held tightly by the leash of iron reason. Dangerous. Masterfully wielded as a weapon that can protect or maim. Inner instincts roar. The steel now carried the call of the jungle. ...You werent supposed to literally enhance your presence with magic and ki but I guess thats one way of doing it, though it would be very exhausting to keep it up for a whole day. Our general work hours are about 4 PM to just after midnight. Kentarous eyes were still and serious now, while there was a tiny flare within looking for a moment of weakness, the gravity in his voice spoke leagues about how seriously he took his profession. If Im going to teach you, well you better know exactly what type of work youre getting into. Yugai nodded and Hakuro yawned. ...Guess this will be easier than with the newbies who think they know everything. An empty glass is in some ways simpler. Dont interrupt me as I explain. A command, not a request. Kentarou took a deep breath from under his mask. Women come here for emotional support or stress relief. Usually, our clients are people who work late or are also part of the nightlife. For one reason or another, they want our support. When a customer comes here for the first time, they inspect the hosts via a menu. Were selling ourselves and they buy. What host clubs usually do is introduce every host to the girl and then she chooses one of us to spend most of her time with. A host chosen by a girl is their named host, her Shimei. Whenever she comes to that club, shell have that host to entertain her. We make money as a percentage commission based on the menu items she orders which will primarily be expensive alcohol. Shell order drinks for herself and her host. There are often helper hosts who will basically wingman for the shimei host if they arent busy themselves, but regardless of how well the helper does all the profits will go to the Shimei. Thats how clubs usually do it. Over here were a bit different, mainly because our manager is a peculiar but well-intentioned man. Lang introduces new customers to hosts he thinks are good romantic matches for the woman. Hes a Disciple like us, and he bothered to learn how to use his magic to get a good idea of compatibility between people. Kentarou sighed and crossed his eyebrows. Hes of the Water Form, so he describes it as understanding how people can connect on a chemical level, theres more to it than that but thats how he explained it without getting overly complex. As for why he bothered to do such a thing? Alright, so like I said, we give emotional aid to women who have little time to build natural proper relationships. There are some shady clubs that only want to make money by picking on vulnerable women and make them depend on their hosts and extort them for money. The hosts will say things like yeah one day well get married and use that to keep them on a hook. Lang finds that method to be a particularly vile practice, as do I. So, Lang doesnt want to imitate that at all. Kentarou threw his head back and looked at the ceiling. The idiot phrased it like this. Dreams have a chance of coming true for all those who chase them, no matter how slim, thats why we fight for our dreams. Giving these women a stillborn dream is a sin I cannot abide. So, I will only hire men who do not have relationships and set them up with the women with who they have an actual chance of ending up together. These women are not fools. They know that a host has many women vying for his attention, that this is a job. Yet, theres a small seed of hope. That they will be picked. That they will be the chosen one. That the love they feel isnt just her host doing his job, but the genuine article. Hosts do graduate by marrying their former clients. Its a pretty common occurrence. Will she be the girl who wins her prince on the battlefield of love? Gugh. He always has to phrase shit with such Despite that Yugai could feel it. Incredible respect and trust in Lang were pouring out of Kentarous heart. He realised that may be why he was looking away. He didnt want his gaze to give away those emotions so directly. So, youre probably thinking we drink dangerous amounts of alcohol. Youre absolutely right. Under normal circumstances, itd ruin our livers for good and many of us would take toilet breaks to vomit. In fact, most host clubs have that happening, but not here. Again, thanks to our meddlesome manager. He also uses his water magic to freeze and dilute the liquor in our bodies so it has a slower burn and a far less critical effect on us. He wont have his precious employees or clients dying from organ failure. He even measures it out so we can all still get a buzz but without murdering ourselves with questionable decisions. Yugai knew then and there. What he was watching was a man embarrassed about his own friendship with another man.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Yeah, so basically you need to entertain your lady. We do this mainly with conversations that let her speak out her problems in a frank and honest manner, but sometimes they dont wanna talk about the heavy shit, so you do something lighthearted. Small talk, magic tricks, singing, dancing, perform your heart out to ease hers. Thats your job. By the way, it isnt uncommon to go out with a client after hours to keep them happy and interested in coming again. Some places also incentivise sleeping with your customers. We dont approve of that here, at least as an official endorsement. Bossman says that what two consenting adults do together is up to them, but if youre going to cause trouble you better be ready for the consequences. Take that as you will. Also, youll be expected to regularly text your customers to keep them coming here. We found out you dont have a phone, so here. Kentarou chucked a red flip-phone at Yugai who caught it midair and inspected it thoroughly. Its cheap and disposable, but dont break it, its your responsibility now. So thats the basics down. Next comes the things we have to do while working and the hierarchy. Kentarou finally stopped looking at the ceiling and looked at Yugai directly. We get all sorts of clients of many age ranges, from college girls to much older women. Treat them all with respect and try to appeal to their demographic and way of thinking. Youre supposed to be in their corner, so act like it 24/7. He bent down and cupped his hands together. I do that by encouraging them to challenge the problems in their lives and change for the better. Aramis, the number one host here instead focuses on making them feel comfortable and relaxed, not having to worry about the problems waiting for them. There are a ton of styles you can employ, Lang wants me to coach you probably because he thinks that you can appeal to a similar target audience like my own. Tch, training my own competition. Seriously, what a joke, if I took this job more seriously forget it. The Four Kings and the manager are at the top and everyone else is below it, our rankings are based on our sales and we check every month and compare to the other clubs. He shook his head and regained his composure. Youre a really honest and energetic person, so mostly be yourself but learn to hold your tongue and keep the mood appropriate. Watch for visual and audio cues for when you should press closer or back off from a topic. Lang has set up a girl for you to talk to. Think of this as an interview no, its a training session. Well be heading back down and you can try to win her over. Ill watch from a distance and assess how you do. I know I talked your ear off, so now, if you have any questions, sigh, please ask before we leave. Yugai raised his left arm high into the sky as if he was a student in school. Kentarou buried his head into his hands. Of course. Dammit. Maybe it would have been easier to address them as they came up instead of leaving them all at the end! Fuck! I can only blame myself. Kentarou grumbled as Yugai waited for permission from his teacher. Go. One at a time though. Yugai brought his right index finger to his chin as he started to organise his curiosities in order of importance and when he loaded his lips as if they were bullets. Kentarou mentally readied up all sorts of answers he could expect from a new employee. It was going to be machinegun fire. Whats the policy on physical affection? No kissing, no groping! Shoulder to shoulder is fine, hugs only if no one else is watching! When do we get paid? First of every month for your regular wage which is basically just over minimum! Commission money will be dealt out at the end of the week. Do I have any duties besides entertaining women and helping my fellow hosts? Since youre not one of the Four Kings you also need to clean the place and any other odd jobs that we ask of you. We could just use magic to do it, but Lang does believe in building character. If I need help what do I do? Ask politely for it, we have a guy for that, but never, ever, ever leave a customer alone under any and all circumstances! Thank you very much! Im just doing my darned job as are you, dont thank me for anything yet! Finally, the war had ended. They stood up and headed back to the elevator and entered it just as Kentarou sighed and Yugai seemed ecstatic for what may come next. Chapter 10: Venus Beckons with Palm and Fist Ding. The pair of Mystics and Disciples stepped out once again into the main floor. Salamandra now scattered and rested within the hood of Kentarous denim jacket. Hakuro whispered into the air and vanished from human sight, though he still rested on his Disciples right shoulder. Huh. I didnt expect that. You know, itd make more sense for him to do that Are there any octopus Mystics? The cat hissed and grumbled and Yugai decided his curiosity had no need to be sated at that exact moment in time. Im not invisible. Im incorporeal. Im like a ghost behind your shoulder. Ill keep quiet. Im not a fan of conversations between humans. Finally, they were back in the main hall filled with hosts and the women who had come just to see them. Kentarou leaned over and whispered in the ear of his new protege. Table at the top right corner. Shes the one whos asking for you. Go. Stay confident. Dont be stupid. Ill be watching you. Yugai nodded and took his first step into this life. The sound of his foot against the marble floor sent an almost silent shockwave through the air. That was how it would start. A single tap against the ground. It would grow. Standing straight and advancing with a smile, doing all he could to appear dignified. Not bad, newbie. Heh, walk the walk but you need to talk the talk. A young woman came to view. She looked around the same age or just a bit older than Yugai himself. Her hair was compacted into a long and lovely purple coloured braid that hung down from her right shoulder. It was and always will be the first thing that anyone will look at when they lay their eyes upon her, anyone could tell there was a loving amount of attention and detail dedicated to making it twinkle like a diamond among a mountain of coal. However, the rest of her physical form was no slouch either. Rouge lips that were as deep as the very first sin. Eyes of emerald. Skin that looked as if it had just been bathed in ambrosia, a layer of milk like white that had wrapped around her body and could not be torn away. Not a single blemish. A low cut dark blue dress that opened a window to a valley of temptation. Hey good looking, want to make my night tonight? A voice that carried the notes of a mastered violin. Enticing with just a few pulls of the strings, grabbed and swallowed in a symphony. Yugai stared at her dumbfounded. It was as if the statue of a goddess of antiquity had come to life before him, a living miracle of beauty sat on a black two-seater couch and carried bubbling champagne in a glass in her right hand while her left patted the cushion to her side. Come. She was beckoning the beast she had picked out to bow his head to his new mistress. Kentarou grinned as he watched the boy walk over like a zombie and fall into his designated seat like a well-trained dog. Did you forget Yugai? Your customers are also likely to be part of the nightlife. In other words, hostesses! Our exact opposites! Women who entice and wrap men around their fingers for a living! This will be a match of wills, seduction, and setting the mood! If you can even land a few good hits in no, if youre able to avoid being completely sucked into her pace then Ill commend you even if I hate doing so. Now, what will you do? Im Milo! Ill do my best! He was able to psyche himself up and open with an energetic introduction. Oh my, how adorable! I do love children who try their best! A backhanded compliment that makes the recipient want to prove themselves to the one who struck them! A fire was lit and it would not go out easily. I hope to meet your expectations! The woman brings her left hand to her mouth to conceal her lips as she let out a brief giggle. So earnest! Im falling for you already! Oh, how rude of me, my name is Violet! Lets exchange mail addresses! A blush was forced onto his face as he stumbled to stay cool, but this just gave her the opening to reach into the coat pocket of his duster and retrieve his new cellphone. Without asking for permission she moved her fingers with incredible precision and speed. There! I added my number! I expect you to answer within five seconds a text and three rings of the dial. Yugai could only nod in response. She was far too fast. Too smooth. She was operating him like a well-oiled machine and she had memorised every nut, bolt, and function just like the back of her hand. She pushed his phone back into the pocket she had taken it from while pushing her face closer to his. She unleashed an addicting poison at this range. Her long dark eyelashes batted like the wings of butterflies and drew Yugai further into her soul. Kentarou sighed and stared at the woman sitting with his apprentice. Violet is a professional after all. I had very little hope in the first place for any first-timer to be able to control the conversation. Since he couldnt weather the rapid, he should go with the flow Kentarou had seen this happened many a time before. Most of the new hosts were tested with similar methods. This wasnt about crushing the hopes of fresh-faced dreams. It was to see who was able to pick up their pride and fight another day. This business was a cutthroat one, and your words are your weapons. Your body is merely a good-looking sheathe for the blade known as the heart. The most important thing is to charm with character and when this cannot be done, assist with loving care. Urgh. Hes going to try to counterattack now. This is going to be ugly. Im Izumi Yugai! Im twenty-one years old! Its a pleasure to meet a wonderful woman such as yourself, Lady Violet! Im honoured to have been chosen by you personally! I like shonen manga from the 80s and 90s! Violet let out a cute roar of victory and Kentarou groaned and tilted his head to the right in disappointment. Youre so nervous! You actually gave me your name! You introduced yourself so formally too! Hahaha! Youre certainly a fun one. Im guessing this is your first day here? Yugai grit his teeth as he realised he had fallen face-first on this battlefield. He was internally about to break into a panic. He was losing badly and was now exposed. If she struck now with all her force a flash of steel.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Yes. Ive just started today. I must thank you for being so accepting of my first stumbling steps into this world. Worry not, your efforts will not be wasted. It will not be tonight but I swear that I will be number one. A sudden change of intensity. She swirled her glass, let out a small smile, and then brought the bubbling golden liquid to her lips and sipped the expensive drink in tiny measured gulps until it was now half empty. She lowered it again. Oh. I like that. It might be a bit too intense for your average girl, but who doesnt like seeing a man do his very best and fight for his dreams? She had ceded an inch of ground but had set up a pitfall. Changing her address of him from child to man emboldened him, but overconfidence can be a traitor that wrings your neck with a loose when you least expect it. Could he escape the trap she had laid? Her lips cracked into a knowing grin. Well, since you gave me all that information I feel obliged to give you mine too! My real name? Its a secret. My age? How about you take a guess? My three sizes? My, you men are all the same! Three strikes that turned up the heat. He cant respond. His mind hasnt been trained for such banter. She had lived it every night of her adult life. A veteran against a recruit. It wasnt even close to a fair fight. She then prepared her critical blow. As for my hobbies, those would be Aikido and Wing Chung. His legs had been swept from under him and now he was in free fall. I can beat you down to the ground with my fists. Some boys quite like that. Are you one of them? He was struck to the floor with a cackle and a whisper from a demoness. I-I dont know? M-maybe? He didnt know if he should encourage that line of thinking or behaviour. The customer is always right fought with his pride and undermined by inexperience. The bad boy continued to see Yugai verbally collapse. Damn. Shes not holding anything back. Shes more merciless than usual. Oh. Maybe she actually does think hes cute? That would explain it. Kid, cmon. Youre getting massacred out there. Youre glued to your seat and sweating bullets. Show me you have something. Was my instruction too poor? Or does he just suck? Or is she just too good? Sigh. All of those things? If this were an actual fight, hed had thrown in the towel by now. That was how bad he saw the situation but it wasnt a dumpster fire. At least, not yet. Milo. Hey, Milo? Milo? Are you paying attention to me? Violet waved her free hand over his eye and he snapped back to reality. Milo? Ah, yes! Thats me! Im Milo! She now looked significantly displeased. You got distracted, didnt you? Were you imagining me dominating you? Pervert. Or were you thinking about some other girl? I shall not forgive you if you were. He was losing. Utterly and terribly. The need to fight the mighty current had not died down just yet. He was still willing to make a go of it. Of labour that would impress even the goddess of love. Forgive me, Lady Violet. I was so transfixed by your beauty that I committed the unforgivable sin of being unable to hear your angelic voice. I can only pray you shall pardon me, though I do not deserve it. He had dug up a bunch of eloquent and overly dramatic words and phrases from the manga of his youth and had placed them together to form a makeshift collage and hoped it could give him some form of defence. Violets eyes opened a margin wider and she said not a thing. She simply brought her glass back to her lips and took one long but thin sip until nothing remained. Kentarou let out a pained exhale of air that sounded like the hissing of a snake. ...Cheesy shit like that out of nowhere? Aramis should be his teacher instead of me. What the hell are you thinking Lang? You know I have no time to teach hatchlings to fly and yet Kentarou however kept his promise. His eyes had not once strayed from his pupil. Violet finally put the glass down, and this time rested it on the white table before them, it was completely empty now, immaculately spotless. Both of her hands had been set free. Yugai could now clearly see all ten of her lavender painted nails. Milo have you ever been beaten by your father? Her eyes and voice fell with the weight of a guillotine and Yugai had somehow found himself locked into it just as the string that held the massive blade skywards was let loose. Kentarous eyes bulged in disbelief. This was rather rare for her to speak about, let alone with her first meeting with a person. Why was she going this far? Shit. Shes going for the kill. Id like to order a bottle of red wine! She called out and a waiter nodded and arrived with a black bottle with a golden top. The server kneeled as he placed the bottle on the table and left behind two glasses and hot towels. Please enjoy. He turns and leaves while picking up the empty champagne glass. It all happened very quickly, Yugai didnt even get a stammer of surprise in, still reeling from the sucker punch Violet had thrown at him mere moments before, and yet she was beaming from ear to ear. Come, drink with me. She unscrews the cap and then pours half a glass for both of them. She took one for herself in her right hand and presented Yugai with the other with her left. He gathered enough composure and awareness to reach out and take it. Cheers! She tapped her glass against his and he was able to also blurt out c-cheers! A ringing sound resonated across their table. They both took a sip of the scarlet liquid and then rested their cups in their hands while looking at one another. So, as I was saying, have you ever been beaten by those who said they loved you? With a flip of a switch, the pressure was back on in full force. She would not let him go. He gulped and almost choked on the wine in his throat. It took everything he could to stay even a little bit calm. The real battle began from this moment onwards... Chapter 11: “I’m sorry, I forgot!” Violet looked as if she didnt have a single care in the world despite the heavy words she had thrown at Yugai twice now. She had wielded them as if they were as light as a feather and that combined with her overwhelming presence, it was a whirlpool. You cant escape from her no matter what you do, as long as she kept pulling in. Until she had her fun, there was no way of getting off her wild ride. The scent of wine was overpowering for Yugai, who had never drunk before today, it was intoxicating and weakening what little power he had left to resist her. It too was a carefully selected weapon. She started humming to herself. No tune, in particular, she simply decided to make some noise as she waited for her answer. It was a tune filled with strength and a hopeful tone. It wormed its way into the brains of every person who could hear it. Unconsciously their bodies were moving in minor ways to the beat. The tapping of feet and fingers, some mimicry, and the bobbing of heads back and forth. The sirens sign was calling out to all who can hear, and Yugai was given another attack on his senses that was damaging his ability to concentrate. Kentarou was grimacing under his mask, his eyes were painted with concern for his student. He couldnt stop himself from asking why she would do this, and after mulling the question for a whole minute it struck him like lightning. Shes doing this because she can! Despite the simplicity of the statement it actually carried a far deeper meaning. So you finally realised it. Salamandra had realised the same thing about a minute or two ago and began to explain. Shes doing this precisely because this situation is where she is strongest. As a hostess shes always been catering to the emotional wants and needs of her customers, playing to their pace and anything she said about herself would be chipper to keep the mood. Shes dangerous in her field as is just playing that supporting role. However, on this rare occasion, shes the customer, and the customer is always right. She can say anything she wants and get away with it. The person on the other end will be forcefully dragged into the tone and topic of her conversation, and be unable to retreat. Shes formidable as an employee but as a guest, shes at full power. She can spread her wings and fly however fast and as far as she wants and take all those with her on a one-way trip to anywhere in the world! Im truly impressed. Yugai had to focus. He took in a deep breath and sent it through to his heart which then relayed oxygen to the rest of his body. Then he grabbed his Ki and his Mana and held them tightly within. He was struggling to find and retain balance emotionally, so he fell back on the only source of confidence he had that was won in battle. His fighting instinct and a fierce determination to live the life he had been denying himself. The steel returned to his eye and now there was fire too. He was ready. His resolve had risen to the occasion. I havent. Im an orphan and always have been. A simple fact fired, for him a common truth he internalised early in life and for most other people a disarming statement that strokes an instinctual desire to say how unfortunate such a person is. A normal person would anyway. Oh? How lucky for you. Violet slapped away his comment like it was nothing. Kentarous mouth was wide open from witnessing that exchange. This wasnt like her at all, but what shocked him even more than that was that Yugais expression in response. Not a single trace of surprise or weakness was on his face. It hadnt moved at all. I think so too. He was going to play her game and win. That was what he had decided. Oh, you must have known some people who have had harsh childhoods for you to say that so confidently. Violet smiled with a hint of sadness as she took another sip of her drink and when she was done she laid it down on the table. My mother was a wonderful woman who was loving, caring, and always put up with my antics as a kid with a smile. She never once lost her patience with me. She was firm but fair, and the word kind doesnt begin to describe the lengths she would go for to help not just her family but complete strangers. She never complained. My father was, well youd think he was an abusive asshole but that wasnt always the case. He loved her, he loved me, we meant the world to him. He was always really busy with work, but every moment he had spare, he used to spend it showering us with affection. The first nine years of my life were pure bliss. Violet smiled as she reminisced of a peaceful past, and she winded up for another blow to Yugais emotional core. He knew it was coming. Hed take it face on. For one reason or another, the hostess had chosen him as a target to vent her soul to, and he was going to face it head-on. It was a rainy Friday. I had just come home from school and decided to do my homework as soon as I can so I could spend the rest of the day just watching TV. I then realised my bad was missing the folder that held my math book and of course my homework too. I had left it at school. So I told her, Im sorry, I forgot. Mom smiled and sighed all at once but she didnt look bothered. She told me to just stay home and stay warm. Shed get in the car, drive to school and come back with my homework in about thirty minutes or so. Violet told her tale without hesitation, there was almost a whimsical factor in her voice as she was preparing to tell a tragedy, her eyes were fixed on Yugai. Waiting for his reaction. She didnt come back. She never did. I waited until midnight and that was when my dad came home, covered in tears and rain. My mother had been hit in a car crash and died almost immediately upon impact. The police notified him first and he well. He left work around the same time he usually did before coming home. I think he was trying to get on with his day, hoping the news was just a joke or a bad dream, that he fell asleep at his desk that if he just continued his day as normal, that shed be waiting for him when he got home the way she always did, but there was just me. Watching TV and staying up late. I was incredibly worried, but I think to him at that moment it looked like I didnt have a care in the world. That probably made him very angry. He yelled at me to go to bed with a voice full of rage that I had never ever heard before. I started crying and ran to my room. He didnt tell me what had happened until I woke up the next day. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She was still smiling. Her eyes were still gleaming like diamonds. The strength to have weathered such a storm was clear in every fibre of her being and while Yugai could not say he feared it or was not sure if he should admire it, he could confidently say it was overwhelming. He was reminded of Hibaris comment. Were like rockstars! It set in. A legendary factor that draws everyone to you for good and ill. People who have climbed the stairs of adversity and hardship, and fought the whole way through hard work and unbreakable spirits. A normal is starstruck when they try to get close. Those who have heard and seen all sorts of brilliant bouts of passion and morbid tragedies, as well as everything in between. This isnt something you can pick up or compete in just a day. He was not only outmatched but completely outclassed. Violet picked up her glass again, gave it a sniff, then a sip. Her mouth moved a little to swirl the wine in her mouth before she swallowed it and let the glass return to the table. Take another drink, Milo. You shouldnt be sober when you listen to the rest of this. It wasnt phrased as a suggestion and Yugai nodded and complied to the command, hastily slurping a spoonful worth of red wine down his throat. He had heard from Kentarou that the effects would be mitigated by Langs magic but he still felt burning hotness from the liquid coursing through his body. Violet licked her lips as if she was about to bite deep into the softest and sweetest cut of a steak. She screwed the cap back on the bottle of wine. Now where was I? Ah, right. So my life obviously changed after that. Dads work schedule didnt change much, except he came home early on Fridays, always waiting for me, with a can or bottle in hand, he would drink and stare at me without saying a word. As if judging me, or something, I cant be sure. His mind was not in a good or stable place. Figuring him out is hard. Do you know what its like to have someone you loved with all your heart suddenly terrify you every time you even glanced at him? The sound of his footsteps threatening you with a small panic attack? Its really it felt like home had gone from a warm safe place to a cold and painful one that wanted to swallow you whole. I always tried to find excuses to not go home on Fridays until I had to go to bed. She grabbed her glass and finished it, once again letting it rest on the table when she was done with it, this time though she shoved it a little harder and that detail did not escape Yugais notice. He scared me. He yelled at me, but he didnt raise a hand on me for a very long time. Once in a while, hed say he was sorry when he was really drunk. The first time he hit me was... I was in my first year of junior high. We had a field trip and I was scared to ask my dad for permission, every time I got a chance, was only on Friday when he was drunk out of his mind, so of course, I just couldnt. When my school called him up and asked why he didnt sign the slip, he confronted me and the only words I could think of in response was Im sorry, I forgot. The words fell out of Yugais lips before they could come out of Violets. Theres a silence between them now. Kentarou cannot believe what he just heard, mainly that Yugai would choose to cut her off with the answer rather than let her finish. For the first time in their entire conversation, Violet looked like she was on the back foot. He had taken her by surprise. Yugai took his glass and downed it this time. He looked her straight in the eyes. He was waiting for the rest of the story. Steel in his eye. Her lips had a barely noticeable quiver to them. ...Yeah. He got mad. He wasnt there when I said those words to mom, but he knew about them. The day she died he asked me to tell him how and why. So he knew. When I said those exact words to him he wasnt thinking straight for a lot of reasons, but even so he raised a fist against me and then he... Violet closed her eyes. She grew quiet. Then her right hand latched unto the wine bottle. Her grip was reversed. She rose the bottle above her head as if it were a sword. Every gaze fell upon her. She swung it down with all the force her right arm could afford her. It shattered against the table and sent shards of darkness throughout the sky of golden lights. Scarlet liquid showered upon her face in streams of viciousness and soaked her dress in shadow. She dropped what was left of the bottle to the floor. Her eyes opened. Just like that. She brought her right hand to her lips and licked the crimson drops away, and then turned her head upwards and smiled brightly and widely towards the whole crowd of employees and customers. Oh, dear! It seems Ive had far too much to drink tonight! I have to apologise for making such a scene! Let me make it up to you! Ill replace my ruined wine with fresh wine for everyone! Waiter, a bottle of your finest for each and every table! That was all it took for people to let out a cheer and go back to their business while the waiter ran over and scooped up the shards of glass into a dustpan with a brush. The hostess returned her attention to the man who was supposed to serve her. Yugai had lost his balance again. ...From that day onwards I was obsessed with power. It started as just a whisper in my own heart at first. It was easier for him to hit me over the smallest things. The floodgate had been broken and he always looked for an excuse to blame me for everything that went wrong in his life. It dug its claws deep into me. Pierced my flesh, poisoned my mind, and tore at my soul. It grew louder and louder. It needed to be heard. I wanted the strength to fight back. So I sought it. She tightened her hand into a fist. That was about the time I started to learn how to fight, and I also couldnt stop picking them. Her smile is smug and sombre all at once. Bittersweet memories are welled up in those fingers and knuckles. Memories that engraved themselves deep into the bone. This is where the story really gets interesting. Chapter 12: Should I forgive him? The atmosphere of everyone had suddenly livened up almost instantly, pretty much everyone ordered expensive champagne. A light drink that was also expensive, the women and men could rejoice because drinking for free had just landed in their lap. Yugai was shocked by the previous display of physical strength Violet had performed by smashing the wine bottle into nothing but for him who had saved money no matter how small his entire life, he could not believe she would part with such an absurd amount without batting an eye. As if she was telling him that all of this was nothing to her, and he fell even deeper into the whirlpool of her presence. One of the queens of the night stood before him and it took every ounce of strength to stay afloat. Id like two cassis oranges! Violet called over the slightly distressed waiter and he took the order and left with a bow. A lighter drink would be good, I can see its your first time. Another jab between the ribs. Yugai could only grit his teeth at the comment, it was true and that was exactly why it stung harder than normal. He was reduced to being a child in her eyes again. Having been so overwhelmed by her last few stunts, all his progress on a counterattack to have some semblance of control or stability in their conversation had been obliterated. Two orange and red looking drinks in tall glasses were placed on the table and Violet slurped up about a third of it without missing a beat. Yugai felt obligated to intake an equal amount of alcohol. So, heres the next part. Violet was ready to start again, or rather, she felt that Yugai had been given enough time to heal, that he had recovered enough mental and emotional stamina to take another heavy hit. He braced himself for something even darker and with more force than the last gut punch. He had to weather the storm no matter what. So, as I was saying, I wanted to be strong desperately. I ended up seeing a fight between some of my upperclassmen, five girls against one. That one senior of mine wiped the floor with her attackers in probably just over a minute. She dodged and countered every attack and threw them to the floor. I was astounded and begged her to teach me. She took me to her Aikido dojo and there I started chasing it in earnest. I quickly became a star pupil who defeated tons of opponents. Within a year, I was confident. I gained a sense of personal power. A little piece of freedom. Yugai had a flash of familiarity. Yes, indeed, he could empathise with his feeling. He had obtained something similar just this morning. The power to fight back against your enemies, but more importantly the faith and drive in oneselfs to challenge the world whenever it comes to crush you. His ears pricked up and his hands balled into fists unconsciously. He wanted to hear this. Like I said, after that one incident in the first year of junior high my dad would find excuses to hit me. So, one day I was sure I was strong enough. I fought back. I used everything I had learned to try and prove to him I wasnt taking his shit anymore. Her grip on the glass tightened. A little more force and itd end up just like the wine bottle from earlier. She catches herself in the last moment and sets it down and exhales, and regained her calm demeanour. He totally destroyed me. She let out a dry laugh and one that seemed very honest and genuine. A bit of the mask fell with that comment. My dojo was filled with women who wanted to be strong. It was truly inspiring. I had never sparred or fought with a man. I didnt know. Theres a bit of trembling in her voice, just a tiny shred but enough that Yugai could catch it. I didnt know the difference in muscle strength was that... She gets mad simply recalling it. It wasnt fair. All my techniques were absolutely useless against him because of that difference. On top of that, Aikido needs you to have a certain level of power in the first place, you need enough to match your opponent to make your counters and throws mean anything. At the time my self-worth shattered. Violet closed her eyes again. Do you have any idea what that felt like? Yugai had no immediate response. He couldnt think of anything that could support or console, so he chose the only card he had. ...What happened next? One step. Its just a single step forward but its better than waiting to drown. That was how he thought of it. Im so pleased youre interested in me. Violet downed her glass to fill her with a bit more liquid courage. After that happened, well for about a whole year or so he didnt show up on Fridays like he usually did. I was incredibly angry and upset at my revelation. I lost genetically because my father was a man and I was a woman. It stung hard. So ah I probably have to explain this first. Violet grabbed her braided hair with both hands. It was a light and tender embrace and her tense face eased up and her smile returned to her along with her clear shiny eyes. When I was a little girl, I saw a braid just like this one and thought it was the most beautiful thing ever. So I asked if my mom could braid it the same way. It took her a while to learn but after she did, she would always braid my hair every morning. She did it with such loving care and delicacy, we would talk about everything and shed listen intently even though I was always running my mouth up and down with the random thoughts of a child. When she passed, I didnt undo the braid for a long time until I didnt really have a choice. I then learned how to do it myself, it was really hard for me to do my own hair like that when I was that young. I worked hard to do it just like she did. This braid is incredibly important to me. It always will be. Yugai stared with longing. He was now jealous. His earlier comment about being lucky now felt stupid. The words that had left his lips had turned to ash and retreated to where they had once come from. They had been burned away by the love she held for her mother and then buried by the coldness of the absence of such care in his own life. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. I cut it. The comment breaks his sadness and filled it with surprise. I cut it off and most of my hair until I looked just like a boy. I began to speak like a man, dressed and acted like one too. I got into street fights. I had lost my confidence in myself, so I tried to divorce all aspects of me. Throw away the girl and everything about her. Even now, I have days where I tie up my hair and put on a wig, and make myself look like a man. That experience really messed with me. When my dad finally saw me again, he really lost his shit but he didnt hit me once. He just destroyed tons of things in the house. I was terrified. He just went on a rampage until the living room was mostly a broken mess, I just kind of stood there. I was angry at myself again during that. I got stronger from all the brawling but I was still scared. When he finally stopped he started crying and fell down and just laid in the destruction he made. Violet crossed her eyes and trouble brewed within her body. Yugai could see it. The things before were heavy but she had mostly been able to say the words without much of a reaction. This was the past for her and she had mostly learned to deal with it by now, but what was coming next was a problem that continued to vex her in the present. When I returned from school the day after, the whole place had been cleaned and repaired. I was cautious about seeing him again. I was determined. Next time Id kick his ass, I swore to myself. I didnt see him for about a week after that. It was a Friday. He smiled at me and didnt say a word. He simply saw that I was at home and he left after confirming that fact. I didnt get my chance. He left a note on the living room table. Violet sighed and called over the waiter to fix her with a large mug of draft beer and chugged a great deal of it before she was willing to continue. It basically said, sorry. It was wrong of me to blame you for your mothers death. I dont deserve to be your father. I know I never can make it up to you but Im going to try to continue supporting you anyway. You dont need to see me anymore, the house is yours. Violet sighed. That was about when I had just started high school. Its been maybe eight or so years since then. He kept having heaps of money and supplies delivered to my house. Everything from study books to shampoo. Financially speaking, I had no wants anymore. It was insane. I didnt want to accept anything from him, but I convinced myself it was the least he could do, so I did beat my stubbornness and ended up using whatever he gave me. I told myself that he would never change, that this was all some ploy to get me back that he would fail in. That hed revert to his awful behaviour. Its been eight years and hes really nice now. Always nice, whenever I give him a call, or even if I actually bother to meet him hes so much like the dad I knew before my mother died. It pisses me off. Hes never once tried to force us to reconcile. Hes just been supportive. He understands my personal space too. If I do need him, hell come running at the speed of light. ...Ive spent more time with him lately. It feels almost normal now. Like all of that never happened, but I cant forget. I cant forget the burning sensation of his fists. Violet touches her left cheek with her left hand and recalled the pain. Even so, I cant help but he works hard now, he always has time for me, hes trying so hard to be a good person, not just to me but everyone and everything. I spied on him a few times. Hes practically a beloved local saint now. Hes changed. For real. When I knew, when I knew he was a better man, I ran up to him and punched him and I asked him what caused all this. Heh. Do you believe it? He said that the reason why was because I cut my hair. He said he knew how much it meant to me, how much my mom meant to me. When he figured out I had cut it because of him? That was what set everything off. He said he felt so much shame that he ruined that bond between my mom and me that he thought about killing himself, but he chose instead to do everything in his power to make me live however I want, as free as I can be its what mom would have wanted and what he now wanted. Its what he wants even now. He said it was more than just guilt now, it was his responsibility, as a father and a husband. As a man. After that particular meeting I... Violet drank from the mug of beer again until it was empty and slammed it against the table. It didnt break but small fractures had spread across the glass upon impact. She placed her hands on her braid again and gripped it tightly as if she was hanging onto something she valued more than her life. Its been eight years since he changed. About eleven years since he hit me for the first time. Almost thirteen years since my mother died. Is that enough time? Should I forgive him? I really need your opinion here, Milo. Thats why Im here. I need to hear someone elses input. Does he deserve forgiveness? Yugai had listened to the whole story. He was now abnormally calm in the face of the massive and dramatic buck he had been passed by the drunk and powerful woman. He opened his lip and answered without a hint of fear or apprehension. Thats not for me to decide. A fire crackles from his mouth. Kentarou watched in disbelief. He could feel something was changing between the two of them and that something was about to burst from the young man. The question was, would it damn him forever to hell or be salvation for a tortured soul? Chapter 13: Your Call He lifted his head to look at her directly. There it was again. Steel that shined in the centre of his eye like a sword raised to the honour of the sun. Violet is knocked back by this, her mouth opens ever so slightly agape. Im kind of angry. His voice rumbled like an engine raring to go. Im sorry, Im doing my best to feel for you. I am. Really. He gritted his teeth and sharpened his blade. This is not the type of thing you ask anyone else to do. This is your fight! A stalwart spirit that is determined to hold its ground no matter what comes. If youre just asking for advice, whatever, but in the end the only person who can make a decision this heavy about life? Thats always only going to be it has to be you! No one else can or should control your fate! Hes getting worked up. His voice is low enough that no one else could hear it besides Violet who is sitting directly by his side and people with powerful and perceptive ears. Yet it carries the weight of destiny within it, its a hammer that tells those on the receiving end to pick up and forge their own paths. Between his words, there would be a pause, a tremble of something akin to rage and then the metal would slam against the anvil again. Youre also asking the absolute worst person for this, you know? I was holding my tongue earlier but, at least you had love and happiness, affection from two people even if it wasnt all the time. That nurturing? I never had it. I cant know your pain or your joy, not really, but you asked anyway and Im trying. ...Forgiveness? Forgiving him for hitting you? For blaming you? For what exactly? How much of it? The questions are bullets that pierce her side. Leaving her more and more defenceless with each shot. He was drilling into the core of her world, surely but surely and without stopping for anything but to breathe. Besides. I cant give it to anyone. Its yours. Your forgiveness is yours! Whether you hate him and never forgive him, whether you forgive him, whether you dont ever do so completely but can do so a little, thats not my call. Dont run away! You worked hard and fought hard and its not over yet! Dont chicken out at the last second of itll all be worthless! If when youre back is against the wall, when its to do or die fight! His fists are white. His glare is now a shooting star. ...Manly. Violet covers her lips with a fist as she looked at him. A sense of danger slowly filled her. A familiar one, the same type as when she was seriously fighting. He had ignited her heart, lit it on fire, and was throwing gas, oil, dry branches and everything he could to fuel her fire. It was working like a charm. Her eyes saw him differently now. Much like Raimon from earlier, a baby tiger was still a tiger armed with fangs and claws that can kill as well as the stubborn pride of a solitary hunter. With his one good eye, he challenged her to challenge herself. Dont wallow in what-ifs or ask someone else to do it for you, youre just going to torture yourself or regret your decision. Live the way you want., so you can smile and cry always be honest with what you want or youll miss out on so much He finally cooled down just a bit from recalling his own circumstances. He had resolved to not let his chances in life slip out of his fingers or just fly past him. Hed live as much as he could, into blinding light and the darkest shadows. If he could pass on that will to others, he could hold his head high. Hahahahahaha! Violet started laughing as louder as she could while clapping her hands wildly as if she was having the time of her life. It drew the attention of everyone around who started laughing too as if her joy was infectious and the entire club was now in an uproar. All except Kentarou who grimaced at Yugai with a complicated feeling of familiarity and disgust. He finally understood why Lang had told him to be the mentor for the younger man despite Kentarous extraordinarily busy schedule. That freaking wolf thinks we smell the same and hes rarely wrong. Damn him! You pass! Barely, but you pass. Tears fell from her eyes as she burst out the words that she needed to say. Your interview and test are over. A passing grade! Violet let out a sigh of relief as Yugai had collapsed from her words, losing all the intensity he held before. Yep! That face! That innocent shock! I work here, little Milo! She punches his left shoulder with a hearty swing and then wrapped it around his neck. Im this clubs one and only hostess! A special exception was made for me! On top of that, Im also the 6th ranked host! Yugai is further floored by her declaration. Remember I said I still dress as a boy from time to time? These words are all it took for Yugai to connect the dots and a switch of light sparks in his mind. My host name is Lemony. Please refer to me as such if you see me in that attire. Call me Violet when you see me like this and if you see me off work then She suddenly stopped looking exuberantly joyful and wondered for a moment what name she should give to him. Naomi. You gave me yours so Ill give you mine. She decided to equal the playing field between them, she rose to her feet and off the couch and bowed to show respect. Yugai hurriedly leapt up to do the same. Aw, adorable. Today wasnt supposed to be a Violet day, so the boss gave me the day off after I played with you. Ill be heading home now. I expect good things from you. Its nice to have a junior all of a sudden. She raised her head and waved farewell as she headed to the changing rooms Hakuro rematerialised. Well, Ill admit it could have gone far worst than that. The cat took a peek at his Disciples stats and looked for changes. Ah, as I expected. This was the right call to bring him to a place like this. The feline would sharpen this dull blades claws, it would take time but a challenge was welcome. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Kentarou walked over with hastened steps and stopped right in front of Yugai. ...Damn it all. Follow me, come with me, were doing a debrief. The working day is pretty much over anyway, we will be shutting down business in a few minutes. Were heading to Hades. Obediently and without a word Yugai smiled and was now only two steps behind his senior as they left the building and descended the marble staircase guarded by Raimon and the entrance overlooked by Nene and stared down the path to the underground mall that had yet to be fully finished. Dragon Quest. The name of the game practically leapt out of Raimon the bouncers lips. Hes following you like a party member from Dragon Quest. I guess the dog has found the first member of his pack. The Cyclone of Catalonia snickered at the Hound from Hell. Kentarou turned back to face the former heavyweight champion. ...What is it? His voice is seething but kept under control. Yugai knew immediately that there was something between these two. ...Youre going to teach him how to kick ass now, right? I want to watch him clobber you. A savage and scorching desert wind bellowed between the two men. Keh. Well, I know you enough that you wouldnt do something so pointless. I guess you can come. Kentarou relented and as he did the tension between them evaporated. I cant tell if youre in a good mood or a bad mood with those sour eyes. Raimon stepped down from this tower to join the party while Kentarou ignored the sharp stab. The three followed in a single file line down into the pits of shadow. They emerge in a massively wide and long tunnel. There were empty shops and stores line dup, just waiting for something to fill their space. It was marketed as an underground mall but it easily outdid the total size of a major city train station. There were however a few places with signs and lights up. Kentarou led them to one in particular to the right, and in just a minute they stood before a massive gate. The sign above had the words The Dojo Beyond Death! He has an awful naming sense, Kentarou muttered as he flung the gates open with both arms and the interior filled Yugais vision. It was almost no different from a high school gym, it simply lacked the platform and stages where people would address the students. However, there was a large mat over most of the wooden floor and a giant scroll with the word Evolve written in inkbrush. The moment he stepped in with his co-workers he noticed a reality-defying abnormality immediately. There were windows in every cardinal direction that looked out to what seemed to be a forest, despite the fact it was absolutely impossible. They were underground, and even if they somehow had made say a greenhouse behind this dojo, there were windows that looked back at the way they had come and even they showed a luscious green forest that enjoyed the sunlight. ...Oh, that. Yeah, I guess you wouldnt be used to it. Raimon remarked as he put his back against a wall and fixated his line of sight to the very centre of the dojo mat. Kentarou walked to the exact spot the boxer had pinpointed and turned to face Yugai who was still two steps behind him. Back up three steps. Yugai followed the order without a word. ...Kid, I think you need to be more responsive. Hakuro wasnt used to his Disciple being so ready to accept what other people said without questioning it. It was in some ways convenient but so bizarre to his sensibilities. Kind of creeps me out too, but I guess it might make things quicker. Kentarou shared the same disturbing reaction but he also liked how simple it made interactions. Yugai and Kentarou were now about just an arms length away from one another. Kentarou shifted his stance and put his right leg behind his left leg, roughly shoulder-width apart. Something in his eyes changed, they were piercing and boring into Yugais body now. Scanning for vitals and twitches in the limbs, joints, and muscles. The atmosphere turned heavy in an instant, dry, cracking, and harsh, all it took was for Kentarou to shift to battle mode. The pressure was on then it faded. Ah, shit. I forgot. Kentarou undid his stance and then snapped his fingers. Then lively music began to play over the PA system. The language was completely foreign to Yugai and Hakuro, quite familiar to Kentarou and like the voice of a sibling to Raimon. Oi sim, sim, sim! Oi nao, nao, nao! A song filled with drums and something resembling maracas danced through the room and a single powerful voice sang out words of joyful power that bounced from the walls, floor, and roof of the building. The voice of the lead male singer was repeated by a chorus of younger and lighter voices. A constant clapping beat barreled its way into the hearts of the three men and called them to move as their hearts would wish. Kentarou shifted back into his proper stance again and his eyes were now alive with a serene sense of calm happiness, having been influenced greatly by the melody he had decided to play. Yugai. Ive learned about your situation. Youre going to need to fight every Monday I guess I can save your life with some training. Today, just try and hit me. Im not going to fight back, so do everything you can think of. This is just training. He seemed almost like a completely different person. He was relaxed. His sharp edge had almost faded entirely, the heat that Yugai felt was still present to some extent, but it no longer felt like it was suffocating him with cruelty now. It was more like the rays of the sun at the beach. Come and try to hit me. Yugais lips creaked downwards, the cat on his shoulder sighed and once again vanished from view. For Yugai, battle mode meant becoming a storm of juvenile emotions that rampage for victory. Are you looking down on me too? Think youre invincible? Im way out of your league? Ill show you! A childish competitive spirit reared its head once more. It was a side effect of his new embrace life ideology, he cannot control himself and gets heated over the smallest things because the main way he would have reacted prior to today would have been pure apathy, so his mind chose to do the complete reverse setting. Raimon grinned. He knew that expression. He knew that grit. He also knew The kid doesnt stand a snowballs chance in hell. This will be fun. Meanwhile, in the back of the changing room in Olympus, a woman stood alone with her a sleek black phone in her hand and was biting her lower lip. She eased up, took a deep breath, exhaled, and then tapped to call the number that was loaded up. Hey, dad. Its me. I was wondering if Chapter 14: The First Head of Cerberus, Let’s Dance The music blasting through the large auditorium seemed to merge with the very fabric of the building. Yugai crouched low, and put his left hand forward and his right hand back, and make the tiger palms with his fists by curling his digits about halfway. Hakuro instructed his mind directly about how to take his stance and use his weight to add power behind his strikes. Tiger style Kungfu focuses on outward power that assaults an enemy and relies on brute force. The purpose of the claw rather than a closed fist is for brutal follow-ups, digging nails into the skin, or to gouge eyes, constantly leading to additional damage to vitals as long as you can corner and trap the enemy. It primarily utilises strikes with the upper body to build pressure. Yugai swung at Kentarou with a wide and sweeping swing with his right arm, it cut through the air like the scythe of the reaper. Kentarou shifted, and put his left leg forward and pulled his right leg back, while swaying his body to the left, and took a single step back. In terms of distance, he had moved less than an inch. Almost as if he simply had hopped on the spot in rhythm with the clapping of the song instead of a conscious effort to dodge an attack. An exchange of eyes. Yugai practically hissed in the way youd expect a feral cat would when someone stepped on its tail without noticing. Pay attention to me! He swung again. He simply stepped to the side while shaking his upper body and head to the shaking sound that resembled the swirling of sand. A growl of growing frustration seeped out of Yugais body. It was as if Kentarou wasnt even trying to fight at all. To him, it seemed like the man was just dancing to the beat without a care in the world and was coincidentally able to avoid his attacks. Yugai focused his irritation, Hakuro blasted his mind with further instruction. Remember your Ki! Breath and let it flow through your body! Grab your mana as well, when you fought Raimon you bounced it around your body and transmuted it into heavy metal before a strike! This time start it in your left leg, toss it into your right and then throw it and your weight forward and extend your arm into a strike! Just before you make an impact send the ball of mana into your shoulder, then your elbow, and lastly your fist! Hit him with it! Aim at the body, itll be a larger target! Yugai nodded as he did his best to follow the command to the letter. A hot surge of a desire to live, he grasped it easily, this was what he figured was Ki. A cold and mysterious foreign force, much like the prickling sensation from when your hairs stand on end. This was the Mana that Hakuro was feeding into his body as a result of their contract. The former, he ignited and let go wild across his nervous system, this was easy. All he had to do was draw out his desire to see all the world had to offer and channel it. It was like a second skin he wore the moment he needed to do combat. The unfamiliar source of energy was harder to mould but it was exciting for him to handle. The mere act of trying to draw upon its strength sent a shiver of excitement down his spine as if he was about to be a witness to something truly out of this world. He pushed against it with his will until it took the shape of a ball just as Hakuro had said. He then bid it to travel to the left foot. The moment it made contact, a sense of heaviness filled that part of his body, as if his foot was now cast in iron. He lowered his entire body as if he was crouching and then kicked off with his left leg to pounce at his opponent. Shift it to the right to the right! Just as Hakuro said! Yugai felt the ball of mana travel up his left leg and strike into his right like a meteor crashing down to earth. When his right foot smacked the ground with a powerful stomp the ground rumbled from pain. Now to my shoulder, elbow, and fist! To anyone watching the fist that he fired was swift, heavy, and full of force. It was an attack that had the momentum of a wrecking ball and would obliterate anything it touched. Even the far superior, stronger, and tougher fighters like Kentarou would not come out of such a hit completely unscathed. Yet, it missed and its trajectory flew just a hairs breadth away from Kentarous right cheek. If an ordinary person had seen this, they would have assumed that Yugai had narrowly missed, perhaps because of his damaged depth perception. The truth? He had dodged it with a tap to the ground with his right foot and then a tiny hop on his left while swaying his head back with just a tiny motion. The expression in his eyes was still clear with a spark of jovial merriment. Even avoiding that powerful punch was merely a continuation of his carefree dancing. He did not say a word. For Yugai it was an excellent attack that he had crafted and performed almost perfectly. For Kentarou it was the pawing motion of a blind newborn kitten. The boys rage grew twice in size. Damn you! Yugai continued his assault, this time he did the exact same thing replicating what he had just attempted but in the opposite direction. He shifted his internal forces and gravity from the right of his body to the left and swung a wide arc aimed at the torso of his senior! Kentarou stepped to the right, two paces worth of distance while keeping his eyes on the boy gunning for him. ...What!? Raimon gritted his teeth upon witnessing the second attack. It was something that Yugai probably couldnt see or realise, a tiny shred of fabric from Kentarous clothes had been ripped out. So small that almost no one could see it unless they held it directly in their hands and lifted it to their eyes. A suspicion crept onto his neck and unsettled him, a flash of anger wanted to lash out when his mind began to play with a certain possibility. Yugai continued to attack, left to right, and then right to left, he continued his tiger swipes with the hope to land a single glancing blow! The right armed strikes were dodged with a minimal backstep. The attacks from the left arm are razor-sharp and swift are responded with a light upper body swerve from side to side. With each assault, Yugais speed and power were rising along with his bodys momentum, he became a pendulum of power turning from side to side that steadily advanced forward without rest. Raimons suspicion grew louder with each punch. It began to gnaw at him like a parasite. He couldnt confirm it but there mere thought that lingered there was stinging him with pain. An itch he cannot scratch or do anything about, at least not yet. Not anytime soon. It was pissing him off. He was chomping at the bit for more evidence for his theory. He kept his eyes peel and trained on Yugais body, taking note of every minute movement. No doubt about it. Hes gotten stronger in the short time since weve fought but goddammit I have to talk to him after this! Ah, I guess Ill clear up my schedule. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. This time Yugai launched a left upper cutting motion. Kentarou used his whole head to swerve to the right and avoid the attack. A singular strand of hair fell down the right side of Kentarous face. This time the effect was noticeable. Yugai was instantly emboldened by his minor success, if he could cut a single strand of hair, then if he could hit faster, stronger, and more accurately, then he might be able to make a wound of some meaning. His mind shifted gears, his aim would be to land that one minor blow. Thats all his brain can say to himself now. Hit him. Hit him. Hit him. It doesnt matter how much, or how hard, but hit him. Land a hit and make him take you seriously. Make him sweat. One bullet of real sweat. Drag it out of his body and take it as a trophy! Kentarou still bobbed and weaved to the music but his eyes full of fun now had a minor glance of amusement. Before he was dancing all on his own in the middle of a light storm of rain. Now? He had a partner and it would be a bit more enjoyable, even if the performance would not last long. The song was beginning to speed up and reach its climax. He was going to crush Yugais fleeting hopes now and do so with instinct and natural reactions to the rhythm. His movements started to become just a step faster, the sways of his body became bigger, it was arguably wasted movement but when he was focused on the music it was hard to fight the beat. He was taught to move to it by his teachers and the methodology was ingrained in both his muscles and mind. He began to resemble a candle in the wind but one that refused to go out no matter how harsh the gales were. Stop swinging so wide! Keep it short, simple, and fast! Fire your arms and fists like bullets down a chamber, go in a mostly straight line and whack his body! If youre going to twist for more force do it at the last second before you would make contact! The cat hissed at his student, much like Raimon he too was becoming frustrated with what was happening but for different reasons. Raimon was focused on Yugai but Hakuro was homing in on his opponent who looked like he had not a single care in the world. This was just dancing to him. Yugai threw more straight and direct blows now just as he was told. Like a machine input with code and then flawlessly executing the programming of his master to the letter. However, the specs of the vehicle known as Izumi Yudai were! Kentarou disappeared from his field of view. A tap bounced off the younger mans left shoulder and he turned in response so he could see the source, the blue and black shadow smiled with a playful snicker in his eyes. He had moved so fast that Yugai couldnt keep up, and now was inviting him to try harder. Damn you! He wouldnt take it lying down. He roared as he began swinging his arms wide once more, reverting to the swiping motions that resembled a wild beast, but now he was twisting his arms and hands as his arms travelled through the air like missiles. Kentarou pulled his head back and took two steps, one back, then to the left. Another missile fired and was met with the same method of dodging. Another, another, and another. All avoided with the same double steps by a man with a look of joy written all over his body. That only brought forth more rage from the tiger cub. The steel in his eye returned with an even brighter gleam to it, a heavy but sharp blade that wanted to sever its foes in two. The missiles screamed as they ripped the air into shreds on the way to their target! Faster! Stronger! Better! Kentarou frowned with his eyebrows for an instant that only Raimon was able to catch with his incredible eyesight. The dark dressed man relaxed back to his carefree expression almost immediately but it was an unconscious acknowledgement from the superior fighter and everyone but Yugai probably could realise it. The boxer smiled. His suspicions no longer haunted him, they were now inviting him with an apple that was filled full of potential temptations. Hes getting faster and hes not stopping for anything! It doesnt end! The combination continues relentlessly without a single break! Even though his attacks got wider and more frantic, the amount of space they cover and devour is forcing reactions from Kentarou! This is the textbook toughness of the Metal Form! What a lucky kid. An explosion! A blow narrowly glanced just over Kentarous head. Three strands of hair fell to the ground. This time he could see the damage, no matter how faint. The steel glittered like a diamond brought to the rays of the morning sun. His subsequent shot created another explosion through the air. Kentarou was forced to duck and bob his head from side to side to avoid it. Just like before, Yugai didnt know the meaning of when or how to quit and continued piling on the hits! His eyebrows bent once more and this time Kentarou realised his own concern for his safety. His animalistic instincts took over. His right leg jumped from his mental chains and slammed into the left temple of the tiger cub. Yugai rolled over and fell on the mat of the dojo. A dull thud echoed through the room. The music stopped. Kentarou wiped the sweat from his brow. Shit. I overdid it. I guess well call it quits for today. Theres a place where you can rest up next door. Kentarou took a step forward to help up his new junior, but before he could even get close! A tornado emerged from the ground and threatened to slice the man in black! Kentarou performed a swift backstep to avoid the scythe-like motion. Yugai was once again standing and ready to fight. He gasped for air, panted from the exhaustion that had reared its ugly head, and was covered in the sweat of all his missed attempts to wound his opponent His eyes were still held a brilliant shining and crazy diamond. It wasnt over until he said it was over. That was the fighting spirit that the cub who has seen the face of death held in his heart! Raimon snickered. Kentarous eyes had betrayed him. A faint look of apprehension and irritation had found its way into his vision. Hey, boy! Kentarous fighting style is called Cerberus Combat! He made it himself from three different things. So far hes only used the dancing head to lick you. He has two more heads! Hes been using less than a third of his skillset! Are you going to let him humiliate you!? Make that dog fight serious already! The speech from the champion roused something further in the novice. His teeth showed white fangs covered in blood. The metal of his soul would not cease until it tasted the red of its intended victim. Kentarou clicked his tongue and decided he might as well. The man in black snapped his fingers. The music was different now. The beating of war drums and the yells of a crowd out for fresh sacrifices to the realm of war. It was on now. Chapter 15: The Second Head of Cerberus There was a brief moment of stillness before the fight started again. It was the lead up to the song getting into a hard and continuous rhythm in the short space where its just building up to the main event, that was their moment of silence. Yugai tightened his body and lowered his body and got ready to start going wild again. Kentarou was no longer dancing in place, his right foot was firmly held behind his left, and his fists followed the same style of positioning. Then a massive banging sound from at least ten sets of heavy and large drums radiated through the air! That would be the starting shot for the match to go underway. Yugai leapt forward while ducking his head down and forced his body to become a wrecking ball. Once he knew that his arms could reach his adversary he lashed out with his claws, right then left, just like he did before, wide and dynamic swings like the reaping of a scythe. Kentarou dodged again, this time with basic steps backwards, but he made sure to keep his stance the same despite the assault upon him, His eyes locked on the left side of Yugais head. He was loading the bullets he needed to take the tiger down. His right leg tightened to take aim and press on the trigger. His patterns are far too predictable. Just right and left with his arms its a pendulum blade, if it touches me it might hurt, but its not mobile and can only follow the fixed pattern it has. The hound from hell was just about ready to force a shutdown on the robot before him. Hakuro then whispered into the ear of his pupil. Tch, I guess youre too worked up to stop throwing those wide blows. Fine, well use that to our advantage. Mix it up. Add the short swift strikes in between your power sweeps, keep moving forward with more weight in your body. Once in a while throw a low kick at his legs. Not often. A rare hit that reminds him there is more than one danger zone. Even if you get hit, stay standing and attack until theres nothing left! Encouraged and filled with a plan by his mentor, the machine takes up up a gear and advances with even more power and speed than he had shown before! A wide right swing! Dodged with a backstep to the left. Followed up by a short straight spear-like strike directly forward from the left arm! Kentarou hops back on one foot to get out of range but Yugai doesnt stop. He lets loose off a sweeping kick with his right leg aimed at the left ankle. A mumble leaves Kentarous lips as he is forced to hop again using both legs and it messed up his stance for half a second but as he landed he returned to his proper form. That was about the time both Raimon and Kentarou made an observation, Yugai had been growing in the middle of the fight at an alarming rate. He had started slow but was now at least twice as fast as he was before. It was very unusual. No one improved that much in a few minutes and no one could hold back that much either when they held such a dangerous look in their eyes. He has a Gimmick. They came to the same conclusion at the same time. It was the most reasonable answer as well as the correct one. Not everyone had been given a Gimmick by whatever system governed the Peak but some people did and Yugai was one of them. Raimon sighed as he watched Yugai improve by the second. His blows were becoming far more accurate with each attempt. He didnt come to this club just to learn and meet other Disciples. He came here to learn how to be charming. Hes a Charisma type Gimmick. Id also guess from the looks of it, he has very little life experience. So everything and anything new to him is basically a whole new world for him. Thats what were seeing. By making basic human interaction, hes going to grow. Hell hit a wall eventually, and Gimmicks can be curses or blessings, well usually both, but Raimon grinned widely, this was going to be exciting for him. Hes an empty cup. He can be taught just about anything without any extra silliness. Yugai continued to press the attack with his triple strike variation, adding in the kick, the scythe, and the spear interchangeably, his arsenal was finally beginning to take shape! In time he would be forged into a deadly living weapon. Yugai then made a mauling right and missed again. Kentarou clicked his tongue, stepped back and threw his right leg high! A black flame clouded Yugais vision. Then a slicing impact smacked into him. Kentarou grumbled as his leg lashes back to its starting position like a bungee cord. Yugai was still standing and with both arms raised in a cross that shielded the left side of his head. He had blocked the impact in time with swift reaction speed and remarkable toughness. It looked like he was basically unfazed. This was far from the truth.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Holy shit! That felt like his leg was a scalpel and he just cut through my arms! He had moved his mana to his arms and did the transmutation trick he had been taught before, but even though his arms were to resemble metal, they were penetrated with a single swift kick. If his arm took a few more, theyd fall apart and become nothing but rusty scrap. Alright, Im going to push forward and keep atta-! Slash. Slash. Slash. H-he isnt stopping!? Yugai braced his arms as Kentarou continued to release cut after cut with his rapid and repeated kicks that were fast, concise, and powerful. Yugai kept his arms up to block the attacks but each blow felt like the sinking of a tooth into his skin. He could not hide his pain, his face crumbled as his eyes were painted with pain and his teeth bit down to numb any yelps of pain. He pushed his head forward and then the rest of his body with his left foot first, but another shot crashed against his guard and he was sent back to where he came. Yugai was now stuck defending, he balled his body up to shelter as much of his vitals as he could. The scalpel kicks had evolved in strength and speed. The bullets of a revolver. The gunman was pulling the trigger every other second. Theres a brief pause before each kick, but Yugai had not the strength or skill to take advantage of that tiny opening. He knew that and his frustration reared its ugly head and tore away at his self-esteem. Then he felt a rough and hard sensation on his back. He gasped when he realised his back was against a wall. Kentarou smiled with a shimmer in his eyes. He pulled his right leg back and placed it hard on the ground. He chose to stop shooting his kicks the moment Yugai was pressed to the edge of the room. Yugais body started frantically shivering and trembling. His guard was still up, but his arms and fingers jittered as if they had been shocked by lightning. His breathing was ragged and filled with deep exhales of broken air. Finally, his arms fell down like a gallery of men who had just been hanged to death. They were bright red and bruised from all the damage he had taken, and yet there was still steel in his eye and fangs bared forward. He assessed his damage. My arms are so hot and heavy. My legs are terrified of him, they just want to shuffle away. Its hard to catch my breath. I can feel exhaustion creeping up on me. Hes way stronger than I am. Theres no doubt about that. Hes done this far longer than I have. I just started today. Theres no way I can win. Yet, despite telling himself that, he began to growl from his gut and glared directly into the gaze of the more experienced fighter. Something welled up inside of him and he had to put his feelings into words and action rather than thought. I wont give in. I chose to start living. To start fighting for everything I denied myself up until now. ...I dont care if I lose, but I sure as hell will die before I surrender! Uwooaaaarrrgggghhhh! He forced his broken arms up while he raised his head to the heavens and roared to them. The tigers pride had been wounded, and he was going to keep fighting until he couldnt anymore. Kentarou grimaced as he now knew for sure. Yugai wont go down or back off no matter how bad the situation got. It was incredibly tiresome and just as troublesome. Kentarou blew out cold air from his lips that had to escape from the side of his face due to his mask. Yugai burst out with hot and wild rage and charged forward shoulder first with his body that was almost brought to the limit. Kentarou closed his eyes. I really hate the hotheaded types. Yugai lifted his right arm to the skies and then prepared to drop it down with the force of a thousand tons, it fell down like a shooting star. The motion was strong and covered a large area but it only took him a tiny bit more effort to escape than the attacks from before. Kentarou did a hop back with his left foot, momentarily placing him midair, allowing him to escape it. Then the meteor halted in place before reaching the atmosphere, in the blink of an eye, it disappeared from the world. Yugais stance had altered as he threw the vertical swing, he had used the weight of his right arm hurdling down to pivot his body, moving the transmuted metal magic in that arm to his right heel, and twisted with breakneck speed so that the left side of his body now faced forward. He has closed the distance between them. His left arm stretched out, the index finger of his hand pointed outwards, gleaming with a talon of silver. It was an extremely similar motion to the last desperate attack he threw against Raimon earlier in the day. Mystic Art: Tiger Sting! All his remaining force focused on a single attack. A look of disgust filled Kentarous eyes as he was forced to recognise the threat heading to the centre of his body. He had just hopped and was standing on one foot, suspended in space before his feet could touch the ground. The sudden burst of strength and speed had forced his hand. He vanished from Yugais vision and then a shattering sound filled the entire dojo. Chapter 16: The Third Head of Cerberus, Freedom’s Legacy Yugais entire body froze still from a single strike, a solitary impact from below, that had landed directly on the bottom of his chin. His eyes were just able to peer down and see the culprit. Kentarou had grounded himself with his left hand and right leg planted against the ground as if they were the roots of an ancient tree and drew power from the earth itself. He had barely understood what just had happened. Kentarous left leg was pointed skywards and tiled to the right. The kick had taken a crescent shape and slashed his face with pinpoint precision. That was all he needed. Yugai wanted to continue his attacks. His spirit wasnt broken but his body gave in and collapsed. His legs went first. No matter how much mana he put into them, they couldnt hold stability. The reason being that his brain had been rattled from the force of the kick. He had lost control. He fell on his bottom, his eyes still fixated on the tip of his opponents foot. It had struck him with deadly venom. Yugais hands slammed against the ground shortly after. He tried to put force into his arms to prop himself back up but this too was a useless endeavour. He then attempted to lurch forward with his torso but this didnt do anything either. His own control and command of his physical form had been taken away with one hit. The only thing left he had was his voice. W-what why I can still fight! However, try as he might, he could not stand no matter how much he wanted to. He began to howl at his own helplessness, begging for the power to get up and continue the fight. ...Youll get up again in a few seconds, but you wont be able to fight with me for the rest of the day. Kentarous entire body flipped horizontally and glided through the air and landed back on the earth in a single blink and while doing so he snapped his fingers so that the music would stop. He now stood tall and straight, no longer in a fighting stance, and looked quite bored. Raimon walked over to the fallen boy and extended his left arm toward him. Yugai grumbled but grabbed the helping hand and was pulled back up. His legs wobbled as he tried to regain his own stability and forced his body back into its fighting stance, though it was clear that he could crumble again with just a push. You wont give up will you? Kentarou sounded emotionally exhausted. Yugai charged forward and swung a wide right clawing motion. It was sloppy and slow, but Kentarou sighed and dodged with a backflip. Yugai continued to push forward, a straight left thrust that twirled wonkily that likely would not hit its intended target if it did connect. Kentarou sighed deeper this time and raised his right arm to shield his face while lowering his left arm to stand just below his hips, and he bent his knees as he did so. This stance was completely different. He lowered his head and then the rest of his upper body chased after it. Yugais attack flew over him, his anger at himself being written all over his face. He decided to follow up with a right kick. He felt that it couldnt possibly miss in this position. It was on a collision course with Kentarous side. Just before it would make an impact, Kentarou was able to take one step to the right and then moved that foot at a 45-degree angle and had essentially swayed to dodge the attack entirely. Yugai growled as he tried to attack again but he fell to his knees. W-what? D-did I get hit again? Hakuro reappeared on the shoulder of his student. No. Youre pretty much out of Ki and stamina. You cant do anything more than this. This is your current limit. Upon hearing those words Yugais mind swirled with uneasiness. His confidence had been dealt a heavy blow. ...He didnt even use any Ki or Mana himself. He beat you with pure athleticism and acrobatics. Honestly, I expected you to struggle and lose quite badly but I didnt think the gap would be this wide. It makes me whats the expression ticked off. Yes, Im mad. The cat hissed at his troubles and that only sunk Yugai deeper down the hole he was in. Kentarou sighed as he glanced over his crushed pupil. Well, I have a good idea where youre at, physically, mentally, and socially. Urgh, this is going to eat up so much time meet me in my room tomorrow a bit before work starts. Here. He took out a red card with his Host Name written in gold cursive and gently pushed it into his open right hand while pushing against it to form a grip. ...You fall quite hard when you fail, huh? This is why I didnt want to go so hard from the get-go. Kentarou looked over the fallen and exhausted figure. Yugai had practically turned into a statue. Hakuro was tapping his face with his paws but there was no reaction. Kentarou grumbled again with a curious look in his eyes. He was going to try something. He wasnt sure how effective it was going to be, and a part of him really didnt want it to work, but even so. Arima. Kentarou leaned down as she spoke to make sure he was eye level with Yugai. My last name is Arima. Combined with what Hibari blurted out earlier, you should know now. My real name is Arima Juro. Think of this as a reward. You did better than I thought you did, both as a host and a fighter. I dont just give my name out to anyone, at least from this side of the business. Only the Four Kings, the Boss, Fen, and Raimon over there know. Now, that includes you. Chin up. I actually had to sweat. Show me how much youve grown next time. If youre still frustrated, prove youre stronger next time. Kentarou got back up as he saw a small flicker in the boys eyes. Internally he was slightly annoyed. This way of talking and praising was a bit too close to home in a number of ways. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Yugai picked himself up and shoved his back against the closest wall while looking at the card in his hand. Its pretty. He closed his eyes and tried to stay balanced. Kentarou left the dojo while Raimon stayed with his back against the wall parallel to Yugai. A full minute of silence passed while Yugai caught his breath and slowly dragged himself out of the mental minefield he had created for himself. Dumbass. Raimon broke the silence with a bolt of mocking thunder. Yugais head raised to look directly at the man who was trying to kick him while he was down. Raimons eyes were clear and full of mischief and pity. Cerberus Combat. Thats the name of his fighting style. Its constructed through a mixture of various styles of dancing, Taekwondo, and Capoeria. Those are the three heads of the beast. He used them one after another on you. He licked you with each head one by one. He never used all three to bite you at once. Thats how much he held back. The truth made Yugai slam his back even harder against the wall and brought his head upwards to scream, but only a weak mewl was able to come out. The fire of the forge within had died down into a single ember among a pile of burnt-out coal. Also, cmon how could you not notice how he just talked down to you? Raimon walked over to the broken man until he stood straight before him. He has two other jobs besides this. One of them is being a vet. He talked to you like you were a misbehaving puppy, and you ate up all the treats he put before your nose so easily. Thats why youre standing up right now, isnt it? Yugai tightened the grip of his shut eyes and bite down with all his teeth and hissed from the gaps between them. Raimon would not stop laying into him now. He still had more to say. It pisses you off, doesnt it? That he, no everyone, heck even me, we are all looking down on you. Does that make your blood boil? Yugais hands balled into fists with the weight of lead. It does. I know how that feels. How it stings. I heard everything a little while back. You dont have anything at all. Nothing. You have nothing. So thats why its so frustrating that when you finally tried to grasp some form of strength, some form of happiness, and it doesnt come, it hurts hard because youre left with nothing again. Silence welcomed them both again after that sentence until the sound of a drop of water against the floor. It became a downpour in seconds. Gahhhhhhhhhhhaaaaahhhhhh goddamit! Yugai howled into the wind while hot tears dripped down the left side of his burning red face. He threw his body to the ground again and then lifted his left arm upwards. He started to choke on his own tears, but he swung his fist down against the floor and sent a small tremor across it. Then he lifted it and threw it down again. Again. Again. Again. Again. And again. Until he coughed up water and displayed sharp white fangs for the world to see. The steel in his eyes sharpened itself and pointed their blades towards Raimon. Thats good. He should have done this from the start. Its what hes best at. He tried to treat you with kids gloves instead. That was wrong of him. Dont you want to punch his face? I sure as hell do. Hes going to teach you how to move, dodge, and get a rhythm in a fight. Let me teach you how to break his face. I promise results in two weeks. Yeah. That should be just enough time to make you learn it. That pain. Hold onto it and make it really sharp. Youll need it. Follow me. The number 3 wants to see you now. Hell fix up your body and well Raimon addressed the cat on Yugais shoulder. You havent taught people like him before. However, you taught or instructed him, youre missing a ton of basic details. Hakase can cover the fundamentals for your kid. He needs to work from the ground up. Im guessing your previous disciples were all prodigies or something. Youre a picky and prissy diva, arent you? The cyclone attacked all within its range without discrimination. Hakuros tail spiked up into the air and his eyes narrowed with indignation. ...Hes not wrong but it really pisses me off to hear it that way. He should have more respect when addressing one such as I! The cat held its tongue but desperately wished to bite back with fangs of his own. Raimon was only spared because he was right, but just barely. Hakuro carried a great deal of pride but, ...the kid did get beat far worse than I thought. I did not overestimate Yugai nor did I underestimate the dancer. I simply failed to give effective instruction. It was meant to be a loss but also an experience to give him the drive to grow, but it almost failed. In a way, this man is salvaging that situation. I can let him off the hook. For now. Yugai wiped his tears with his arms, took a deep breath, roared out, and then stood tall again. Ill do whatever it takes to nail that guy, Raimon smirked in response to the declaration. The first phase of his plan was now underway. He needed to confirm a certain idea bouncing in his head, but once he did, he could really have fun with this. Two weeks before the game unfolded. This is going to be fun. I cant wait to see that idiot on the floor. Raimon left the dojo with Yugai following behind, fury in his steps. They travelled in a straight line across to the building on the other side. A white building that resembled a clinic but had no name upon it. The doors opened automatically at their arrival and with it a youthful but deep and booming hyperactive voice made its presence known. Welcome! Feast your eyes on the wonders of the Laboratory of Futuristic Mystery! Chapter 17: A Certain Scientific Approach to the use of Magic through Practical Exercises The room was almost pure white in decor. It did in fact look like a laboratory as its name suggested, though there were many large spinning chairs, office desks, and mechanical objects. Part workshop, part garage, and part scientific research facility with a dash of comfortability. Several silver fridges were stacked to the right side of the wall which hummed with energy. The voice that had welcomed Yugai in swerved their spinning chair 180 degrees to face his guests and beamed a sharp grin full of almost fanged teeth. His appearance was incredibly striking and as Yugais eye absorbed the information before him, he took a step back from slight apprehension. His style of dress was certainly unique and had punched its way into his mind, this man would live in his memories forever. His voice continued to be loud and full of energy. A slight country accent now dominated the airwaves. Yugai knew from listening that he was from, or at least spent a fair bit of time in the Kansai region. Yo! The name is K-Y-O-U-M-A, Kyouma! Im the 3rd ranked host in all of Olympus, pleased to meetcha mate! Newbie, I expect great things from you! We havent had a Metal Form Disciple work under us before, so Im darn right curious to see what you and I can do together! Be a lad and be my new lab assistant! Ill show you the wonders of the world in exchange! Kyouma had hot and bright pink hair done in the shape of a spiky mullet that had been combed back, and long lashes of hair scraped against the back of his neck. Covering his eyes were orange goggles that youd expect to see from a snowboarder, and under them, you could barely see two big yellow eyes that jolted back and forth. Inside the canals of both of his ears were shiny black earpieces that were completely wireless. The lobes of his ears had silver rings pierced through them and travelled up the back to the halfway point of his ears as a whole. Overall he didnt seem much older than Yugai, if he was, a person would assume there would only be a few months or as maximum a single year of difference. His chest was partially exposed down the centre from his neck to his abs but draped across his shoulders and his sides was a dark blue Hawaiian shirt with white hibiscus flower patterns adorned across it that was left unbuttoned and opened. His waist and thighs were mostly covered by yellow trunks that would not look strange at a poolside. On his hands and his feet were white ceramic gloves and boots respectively. They looked like they had just been taken out of some sort of science fiction film, the type of armour a futuristic soldier would wear when they run into a battlefield. His appearance was a tiny bit of a mess but he seemed at home with his own particular brand of chaos and the confidence it brought him in the presence of others. Uh Yugai was caught completely off guard. This man was very different to most people he had met in this club, let alone his entire life. He wasnt ready to react to someone with such a joyful and direct way of addressing others. It felt like he was staring at a person who can never stop moving, never stop thinking, never stop showing his passions. Milo, right? What a good name youve chosen! Perfect! Maybe with a little work you can actually use the Scarlet Needle! Hmm, wed need to turn your sting red, increase the pain it dishes out and act as a projectile The shocking youthful man leapt out of his chair and offered his right hand forward for a friendly handshake. Yugai managed to shrug off his rust and stretch out his own right hand in response. Nice to meet you Their hands met together in the middle with a powerful clasp. Guwaaaaggghhhhu! Yugai fell to the floor face first and yet his arm was still connected to the arm of the other man. The smell of burning smoke spread through the air while Yugai jittered across the floor like a fish out of water. Eventually, Yugai was able to get back up and the very first thing his eyes went over to was the hand he held before. Within the centre of the ceramic glove he had embraced, was a shock buzzer. W-what the hell! He screamed as he threw his body straight up and stared down the prankster who decided to sucker punch him on their first meeting with a cruel gag. Despite the fact, he had just harmed his new associate and that said associate was absolutely furious, Kyouma continued to smile with his fangs. Feeling any better? Those three words disarmed Yugai completely. He had felt somewhat cold earlier but now the heat had returned to his body. His cheeks flushed, he could feel his blood pumping with warmth. His feet started hopping in place as he stretched his body out almost out of reflex. Every joint in his body moved one after another, he was limber now and felt wide awake despite the beating he took minutes before at the legs of Kentarou. A smug and confident look bolted across all of Kyoumas body. Youre next line is, what did you just do to me! Kyouma covered his entire face with his right hand while pushing the front of his body forward and was clearly having a blast. Yugai blinked as his body settled down from the surge of power he had been given. Kyouma stood still as if frozen in that pose and if he would break it, hed become dust in the wind. Hakuro tilted his head to the side and looked more curious than frustrated. Raimon sighed and walked over to Yugai and whispered into his ears. Please, just humour him. Hes always like this. Yugai nodded and opened his mouth. What did you just do-! He turned on a dash of acting as if the awkward pause between them had never existed. Bwahaha! Youre dying to know, arent you!? Kyouma returned to his hectic animated self the moment Yugai had chosen to march to the beat of the mans drum. Y-yes! I need to know! Yugai was going to commit to playing the part, he had to fit in after all. Well then, allow me to explain to you rookie! Kyouma finally broke his pose and motioned his right hand to his left shoulder and pulled it with blinding speed that Yugai could not track with his vision. A blur of blue covered his eyes and when it vanished there was now a pure white within his field of view. The Hawaiian shirt was gone and now a white labcoat was draped on Kyoumas body, though it was still unbuttoned and left open but once his eye settled down he realised that the two outfits were one and the same. The shirt was reversible and if you were to stare youd notice the blue on the inside and Yugai absorbed that information and responded with a look of childlike wonder. That was so cool. Youre cool. Kyouma cackled with mad and rambunctious laughter with his head pointed to the ceiling with a gleam in his eyes. Raimon was not amused, he had been impressed the first time he had seen the trick and even used his own magic to perform a similar wardrobe change that had equally impressed the boy; but the novelty sort of wore off, at least for him. He was, however, not getting irritated, he had already understood long ago that trying to fight the current of Kyouma was a fools endeavour. He did however notice that the cat on Yugais shoulder twitched uncomfortably. Just let it go. Itll be worth it in the end. Believe me. Just be patient. The cat gave the boxer a sceptical look but held its jagged tongue. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. What I just did to you, I name it the Ki Pulse Booster! General I use a ratio of 8:2 in Ki and Mana I inject a bolt of these energies into the body of another via electric shock! It transmits my energy into any other possible recipient. Your body was low on Ki, so I helped even out your body ratio with a bit of my own. You should feel warmer now, many say its much like someone changed your batteries. You feel fresh, recharged, and ready to take on the world! Though people tend to have a rather hard crash within roughly three hours. The rough and casual talking method Kyouma had employed earlier had altered considerably into a far more formal, direct, and focused style but the bouncing and boisterous energy remained despite the change. You should just have enough energy to listen to my lectures and go through our practical experiments. Kyoumas eyes fell on Hakuro next. Sorry, but for obvious reasons, I think its better if I instruct him on the basics of magic. Besides, hes a lot more average. I can tell you are usually very selective with your choice of Disciples. So this is new ground for you. Watch and learn, old man. The researcher fired a smugness that could smother even the most narcissistic of beast and men. Hakuros hairs stood on end and he flashed his fangs and snapped his tongue. I do not appreciate your tone, boy. The feline predator was losing his patience. Raimon sighed and addressed the Mystic that rode on Yugais shoulder yet again. ...Trust me. Just, let it go. Trying to teach this man the meaning of respect is useless. Surely youve met people with such abundant amounts of free will before? Always as much as a pain as they are a delight. Be the bigger, better, and wiser man, Hakuro. The cat held its pose for a few seconds but then let its rage slip away, having lost all amusement in it and grumbled. Very well. Continue. Just dont ruin him. Good on you mate! You elderly beings tend to be way too fundamental and stubborn. Its refreshing to see one of your kind be so flexible! Like a cool summer breeze by the beachside. Ive got to be impressed with how easily you adapt. Youve earned my respect, Hakuro. It takes a lot of emotional maturity on your part to swallow your pride. A deep crack resembling coughing or choking left the mouths of everyone present besides Kyouma. That was such an extreme backhanded compliment that even Raimon who was used to his co-workers antics could not help but feel uncomfortable and Yugai despite his lack of worldly experience knew how severe a blow had been struck. However, all three dumbfounded males could not express concern or anger because of one tiny thing. A smile with closed eyes and such pure and genuine adoration. To Kyouma, he had meant it only as a word of praise and not in any shape or manner an expression of ill will. Okay so, lets go to experiment number one! The Use of Everyday Tools in conjunction with newly found Magic. Since youre a Metal Form practitioner ah right. Its actually quite simple. A pencil and paper should be more than enough to suffice for the basic explanation. The eccentric scientist ran over to a table and pulled a pencil and a few sheets of A4 paper from its top drawer. Oh, yes, do remember when Im wearing the labcoat side do refer to me as Hakase, as in professor. Hakase, got it memorised? He beamed another fanged grin as he opened his topaz eyes with glee. Kyouma placed the basic materials on a table nearby and gestured to a seat for Yugai to take, who did with a nod and he started to brim with curiosity. This madman was extremely entertaining and now he just wanted to see where the show was going to go next. Kyouma clapped his hands together and rubbed them with anticipation. Okay, so its really simple. Just try to draw a perfect circle with this pencil. Yugai was baffled. Thats almost impossible. I think even artists would find it hard. Hakuro was taken aback by Yugais understanding of the task he had been given by the professor, but he was even more surprised by the ingenuity displayed. This was a perfect exercise for a Metal Form Disciple to learn and know their basic limits, the cat realised his student needed a little push. Do it Yugai, I have faith in you. With those words, the boy was filled with a do or die attitude and undertook the daunting task, taking the pencil in his right hand and started doing his very best to perform a perfect rotation on the paper before him. Kyouma chuckled as he paid attention to the paper being drawn on. The Pygmalion effect. Well, I expected that it would be particularly effective on him. Hes the type that works well with praise. Good, very good. Kyouma tapped the side of his orange goggles twice. Yugai drew circle after circle. None were quite right just yet, but with each attempt, he got slightly more precise and accurate. The experiment was proceeding just as everyone expected it to. Once he got particularly close Stop. Here. Try this. Kyouma dropped a pen on the table. It was a shiny grey and thick pen. With the press of a button, it revealed itself to actually be a pencil or sorts, but instead of granite, it was some sort of silvery material. Yugai looked perplexed but took the new pencil from the researcher and stared down at a piece of paper before him before starting again. Swish. A perfect circle. Oh! I did it! I did it! Yugai leapt out of his chair and pranced around like a bunny before sititnf down again. Kyouma snickered. Okay. Now do it again with the regular pencil. Yugai nodded and dropped the silver pencil and took up the standard one and tried again. Close, but not completely correct. Boo. Yugai was upset at himself. Yugai, what is metal? Kyoumas fangs gleamed under the golden lights. ...Metal is metal, right? Yugai tiled his head to the right as he pondered the question. Metals are generally malleable, they can be chemical, alloys, or compounds. They come from the earth itself. They can be solid or liquid, like most things in the world. Stretch your understanding. Dont limit it to the concept of metal in your head right now. Think of it as anything that can naturally be found within the ground. Any sort of mineral also works. Broaden and redefine the very concept. Yugai nodded, he took a deep breath and closed his eye and tried to come to a new understanding. He was the type of person to do as others said, for better and for worse but in this situation this trait of his helped him in tackling the problem. He opened his eye again and saw the graphite in the pencil as a type of metal. He moved his right hand from the left to the right in a single circular motion. A perfect circle. I did it! Yeah! He raised his free left fist to the air in triumph. Thats one of the basic lessons on understanding. A fundamental part of your Form. Now lets move on to more complex ways of using the Transmute skill Kyouma was in a hurry to continue to the next and more interesting stages of the experiments he had lined up but the champion chose that exact moment of triumph to intervene with a voice as stern as steel. Stop. Do it again, this time with your left hand. Hakuro and Kyouma raised an eyebrow, though the former couldnt quite exactly do that he held the same sentiment and a similar expression. Then their looks changed to bewilderment. Yugai began shaking uncontrollably. The pencil dropped from his right hand. Bullets of sweat fell from his forehead onto the white paper and staining it black. He gasped for air, almost hyperventilating in panic. Raimon picked up the fallen pencil and forcefully put it within the boys left hand and used his strength to make a grip. This only caused Yugai to suddenly look pale and frightfully sick in addition to the rest of his sudden problems. Do it. Now. Thats an order. The boxer would not take no for an answer... Chapter 18: Not a Curse Yugai continued to tremble while his left hand was clutched around the pencil as if it was his own life. Hakuro now watched intently with eyes of judgment. A thought crept upon him that he cursed at internally for not realising sooner, but it was just a suspicion and nothing more. At least, until Raimon pushed the boy and his cat even further. Did you not find it odd that his attacks with his left hand were far more precise? I bet you thought it was simply the lack of depth perception and field of view that made his right-handed blows so clumsy. I dont blame you, I bet everyone else thought the same. Raimon stared at the shaking grip. Hes a southpaw. The kid is left-handed and you told him to fight with his right, and this reaction full of panic? Thats... Yugai slammed his right fist into the table and with pain in his voice whispered. Stop. Shut up. He bit his lip and looked down at the paper with a forlorn expression, but despite the protest, Raimon would not stop. His reaction gives it away way too easily, someone forced him to use his right for a lot of, if not for everything then most certainly for writing. Someone who was rather strict, rough, and punished disobedience with pain. Hakuro bared his fangs, but he aimed them at himself rather than anyone else in the room. He didnt think hed make such a mistake. In truth, it wasnt that big a deal, but he was still frustrated with his own lack of perception. A human had bested him in that faculty this time, and he swore hed not make the same type of mistake again. ...Ive spent too long looking for a Disciple. The outlandish one was right. I was far too picky. My senses have dulled. I need to sharpen them again. Yugai was completely still and silent now. It looked like he could simply be pushed to the floor with a feather. He could shatter with a single word. Raimon placed his right hand on the right shoulder of the boy and lowered his head to speak. I know that feeling quite well. My left hand got beat sore and red by huge metre stick rulers. Man, nuns are supposed to be loving and understanding but stupid superstitions Raimon took Yugais left hand with both of his and forced the pencil to drop. He lifted the arm up to the light, there was no resistance. Its not an unmanly thing, or a demonic thing, its totally normal and totally human, let go of their idiocy. Yugai had no response to the declaration that swam around his ears. The boxer sighed as he knew the younger man was somewhere deep in his mind. He would need a shock to jolt him out of the abyss filled pit. Luckily, Raimon knew how to do exactly that. Crack! Yugai fell to the floor face first, his entire body in shock from a sudden impact. Hakuros jaw was wide open. He had leapt off his Disciples shoulder onto a nearby coffee table just in time. Raimon was dumbfounded. Kyouma had hit the new recruit with a lightning-fast headbutt before Raimon had any chance to do anything at all. There was silence as the group all recovered from the spontaneous assault. The hell are you? The words slithered out of Yugais fallen form. Kyouma glowered at the man who was laid out on the cold white floor. Im hitting you. I thought that was obvious, mate. Positivity was radiating from the scientist punk along with a vicious mocking aura. Yugai gritted his teeth as rage filled his veins, he pushed up with both arms and stood again, his eye focused with laser point precision on the perpetrator of the surprise attack. Bastard! Why the hell! A fierce and swift thrust from a left fist! Slap! Met with an open palm from Kyoumas armoured right hand, which after the initial impact, curled downwards and held Yugais fist with such strength that, try as he might, the one-eyed man could not pull it away. Grrr.aaaa.ooaarrgghhh! Yugai pushed forward with his entire body mass, using his legs to build momentum, turning his hips to add additional torque to his movement. Without thinking he gathered up what Ki and Mana he had and tried to propel further with enormous weight. His body had become as heavy, hard, and dense as steel and yet despite this internal change, it was just as natural as his normal unenhanced flesh to him. He had become a massive truck of power. But Kyouma did not budge an inch. He sneered at the man trying his best to push him over. Is that all you got? Im more than just disappointed. This is pathetic. Where is your fire! Show me youre a real man! Kyouma tightened his fingers around Yugais fist and a surge of electrical energy jolted into Yugai. Khhhh! Ghahh! Yugai endured. He pressed forward with even more determination. His body churned out even more Ki and Mana than before and burned it at an incredible rate to fuel his obsession with finishing this halted attack. Kyouma cackled with madness as he watched a futile effort to resist him, it was the voice of a man who was so confident in his dominance that the world was tiny before him. Mwahahahahaha! A king among demons. Kyouma then started to run his mouth. What? Really? I know youre a beginner but youre this untalented? Give up. Not at fighting, not at being a host, no, youre so weak I think itd be easier if you gave up on life. Besides, you could have hit me with your right this entire time. Yet youre insisting on finishing with your left. What is this? Its completely stupid, inconsistent youre just a mess of emotions. A broken pile of pieces that only resembles a person. Sigh, and I thought youd be more interesting than this. That was the final straw. The tiger snapped. Mystic Art: Tiger Sting! A wet sound bounced off the walls of the room. Then a slow but continuous dripping. Kyouma smiled slightly and Raimon coughed uncomfortably. Hakuro glared at the pair with silent but great interest. Kyouma pulled his hand away. Blood poured out from the centre of his palm in a steady trickle. His ceramic gloves had been pierced and his flesh below had been stabbed. Yugais left fist had a long sharp spike protruding from the knuckle of his middle finger. It was coated in fresh scarlet liquid. Kyouma grabbed a tissue from a box on a desk and started cleaning his wound. Youre willing to fight people who look down on you like your life depended on it at the flip of a switch. So fight the past with just the same amount of fury. Itll make you a lot healthier, mentally and physically. Dont think. Feel. Feel the way your heart wants and follow it. The professor had engineered the situation without even trying. Yugai could only feel shame from this emotional manipulation, but it also cleared his head of doubt. He was able to finally confront his issues directly. Every wound of his past had been set free to rampage, but every avenue to the future had also opened. It was time for him to grow. He sat down on a nearby black cushion chair and let his thoughts rampage and figure themselves out. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Kyouma winced a bit as he pulled open a drawer and revealed a spray can the size of a can of soda that had a green medical cross on it. He took off the cap, pressed down on the top and coated his right palm with white particles. Before everyones eyes, the wound closed and the bleeding stopped within just a few seconds. Gadget R78: FA Spray. It can heal most wounds almost instantaneously! One can of it costs about 600,000 yen! Kyouma had returned to being completely chipper as he threw a sales pitch to all who would listen. Okay, Raimon, I leave the next inspiration speech to you, champ! Kyouma sat back down on his spinning chair and from a different drawer pulled out a lollipop. The wrapper said cherry flavour, and he unwrapped it and sucked on it with a look of glee. The sugar within it fed his body and mind with joy. He spun a full 360 degrees in a circle on his chair with the widest grin on his face. Like a child that was promised a new toy if they behaved and kept silent in the movie theatre. Hakuro scowled a little but it was mostly directed at himself. Raimon cleared his throat as he walked over to the man with a muddled mind, sitting and brooding in his own sweat, fears, and dreams. He lowered and knelt to make sure their eyes met directly. The humanity in the look that Raimon gave him was enough to rag him out of his mental mire. Oh. Yugai dismissed the spike from his hand and it evaporated into the air. ...Sorry. I looking out for me, telling me to be me, right? Thats Ill try. A weak mumble of apology and a thick but small brush of frustration. The bigger man tried to find it. The words that can save the soul before him. He had been told the right things once too. This wasnt the type of problem that is fixed just by saying the right thing, its about building trust and confidence brick by brick, but you need to make sure each and every part of the foundation you place gels together to form something strong. Starting something new was always the hardest. Hey. Dont let it get you too down. I used to be as hopeless as you. Then I became a world champion. I live a good life now even after I retired. Im happy with who I am and the life Ive built. It wasnt and isnt ever easy. Thats life. Im sure you know that. Anyone can turn their lives around. Even you, and everyone else who has made a mess of things. The small speech made a small nod from the head of the weakened young man. Raimon withheld a sigh. This would take a bit more pushing. I got the worst grades in class, all the time, every time, without fail. Raimon took the seat next to the fallen. I got into fights all the time too. I got smacked by a giant metre ruler stick by the nuns of the orphanage so many times for so many reasons. Some earned, some not so much. Raimon had seen the hosts do this many times. Opening a piece of your heart leaves the other party vulnerable, not in a mean way, but emotionally accepting. Back then, I was a terrible tyke. I never could feel happy doing just about anything. Nothing made me happy except when I beat people down with my fists. I couldnt understand how other people felt. The closest I ever could get was in the rush of adrenaline when I fought. So I fought every chance I got. A flicker of movement in the brooding one. Good, it was working. Back then, I was abnormal. Everyone said as much. The nuns, the other orphans, kids at school, people in the street. I only ever seemed happy at the peak of violence. I was also as you know left-handed. Bad luck also seemed to follow me like a plague. I was pretty much designated as some sort of diablo. If something bad happened, it was blamed on me. It was incredibly unfair. So, I just started beating on people more. To feel better, because it was the only thing that worked. Yugai looked away as his face contorted into a pained expression. He felt ashamed. His thoughts as the story unfolded were that he was jealous. He was jealous that the man who was sitting by his side and suffered greatly was able to find solace and happiness in violence. In comparison, he had shut himself off emotionally to find a fake peace. He knew that this was a story of struggle but he found himself envious of the struggle itself. He had little to no experience of such a thing. His entire life he had surrendered and lived life like a waking dream. Raimon and Kyouma both understood. Yugai had started waking up from that coffin of apathy. It was one step at a time but it was something. It was an emotion and experience most of the people at this club understood well. The need to reinvent yourself. The pain that one takes to get there. They had no cruelty for people finding their feet. Only compassion, despite their free and combative natures. Raimon continued to unveil the yarn of his life. I was saved. I was a bit lucky after a long time of suffering. I met someone who was willing to support and have faith in me. Showed me how to fight and the value of working hard. I looked up to her as if she was my mother. If you ever hear me saying Dios Mio, Im evoking her and not the virgin. Heh. A crystal clear smile of fondness found itself on his lips. He was always able to smile when he thought of her. She didnt become my anchor. She simply taught me to love myself. It was hard. You spend so much time filled with hate and then you have to switch it all in the opposite direction, but man is it worth it. Yugai turned back to look at the smile on the champion. Living is filled with so much beauty. Thats why youre alive right here, right now, right? The soft smile and relaxed green eyes sent a breeze of calm forward. Yugais heart trembled. Could he smile like that too? If he worked hard at it, would he also be at peace like the man before him? Would he find his own way of living if he fought onwards and let himself both enjoy and suffer the tides of life? Ill give you something to look forward to. Raimon stood up and grabbed the left wrist of Yugai and rose it to the lights above. I promised, didnt I? Let me make it absolutely clear. This left hand will be what youll use to beat Kentarou. Itll take him down for the count, no, itll knock him out cold. I said two weeks and I meant it. Youll beat him with this. It is and never was a curse. Its a gift of love from God above. I am no liar. I swear by my mother. Know this is the greatest vow I can make to you. Yugai tightened his left hand into a fist. It felt good. The roughness and the sensation of his own muscles tensing reminded him of his very real existence the fist was bathed in light. He believed in the words of a self-made man that declared he would aid him. That was all it took. A single shred of genuine support from another living being. It was something he had been starved for. Somebody, anybody, just saying something as simple as you can do it or I believe in you can make the weight of a chained heart fall as light as a feather. He could cry, but he did his best to hold it in. Ill help you out too! The professor decided now was the best moment to leap back into the conversation. So, lets do some magical and mental training! I have hundreds of experiments for you to undertake! His eyes beamed like lightning while his voice rang out like thunder. However, a thought invaded Yugais mind at that moment as he stared at Raimon and he couldnt hold it in and the words fell out of his lips. Wait when we at the stairs you boxed orthodox. Raimon turned his head away. Ah. I mean my mare, she uh didnt realise I was left-handed for a long time. I got used to boxing that way for a while, and then I later learned how to fight as a southpaw sorry. Just like Kentarou, I was holding way back. I was mostly just playing around. Forgive my disrespect. A childish pouting expression worked its way across Yugai but there was also something else. The long road ahead of him was made abundantly clear now and he felt excitement as he was getting ready to embark on a terrifying and wondrous adventure. He had two worlds to live in now. He would take the reins of his life into his own hands and never let them go again. Determination had been unlocked. A spirit to thrive.