"It surprises me for you to come so suddenly."
Tokugawa sat on the top of the cushion that was placed on the tatami floors inside the room. The sound of the bamboo hitting the stone from the shishi-odoshi was so relaxing that it made his body burn with excitement to calm down. He sipped the warm tea that was prepared by the old man in front of him and let out a long sigh before he looked at him with a smile. "Sorry for the sudden intrusion, Shibukawa." While he might say that the man in front of him was an old man, this old man was younger than him.
"Haha... it's alright. It's alright, but since you have come here, you must have something to talk about with me, right?" The old man laughed and asked with a gentle smile. If someone didn't know his identity, without a doubt, they would think of him as a normal old man who they often saw in the neighborhoods. However, the identity of this man wasn't just a normal old man, but he was a master of a martial artist whose skill could be included in a "National Treasure."
Shibukawa Gouki.
This was the person that Tokugawa wanted to introduce to Shishio when he told him that he wanted to learn aikido.
Shibukawa Gouki is a master of aikido who participates in the underground fighting arena. Shibukawa is sixty years of age and has trained in many fights in his life. He is often called by the title of "the Master."
Shibukawa might be old, but without a doubt, his strength was undoubted. He wasn't those fake masters who pretended to show trickery, but he was a real master with a power that could fight against many power fighters.
Shibukawa was surprised when Tokugawa suddenly called him and told him that he was going to visit him. The last time they met each other was during the funerals of Doppo Orochi and Doppo Katsumi.
Most people felt strange because of the sudden death of that pair of a father and a son since it was as if they were cursed by something.
However, some also said they had provoked someone who shouldn't be provoked.
Still, Shibukawa didn't feel surprised, especially when he thought about their personality.
It might seem cold to him, but he didn't feel that sad since there wasn't much friendship between them. However, he would be lying if he didn't feel lonely since he had lost the rivals who fought together to become stronger.
"Remember our conversation before?" Tokugawa said.
"Our previous conversation?" Shibukawa scratched his head and felt confused. "Sorry, I seem to have forgotten what we were talking about, but please don't blame me after all. I'm so old now."
Tokugawa sighed and didn't feel surprised by Shibukawa's reaction, so he said, "Remember that I've told you that my acquaintance wants to learn aikido from you?"
"Oh? Right!" Shibukawa hit his fist against his palm and remembered their conversation before. "But this acquaintance of yours has never come, right? When is this person going to come?" However, he realized something, and when everything was connected, he asked, "Is this person going to come now?"
"Yes." Tokugawa nodded with a smile.
"Who is he? You even come to this old man's residence to accompany him," Shibukawa asked curiously.
The era of the shogunate might be over, but even so, the wealth and authority that had been collected and protected by the Tokugawa clan for the past centuries weren't something that could disappear instantly.
Shibukawa was confused and curious at what kind of person would let Tokugawa accompany him to visit his residence just because that person wanted to learn his art.
Shibukawa didn't mind teaching someone, after all, he also had many students, and he also taught a lesson to the police and army. His art wasn't exclusive to him, but it was only him who could master it fully.
Most people would think that aikido is a fake martial art.
Those graceful movements and beautiful techniques were just fake performances created by the masters for the show. It couldn't be used for either real combat or street fighting.
This sentence wasn't wrong, after all, the master of those martial arts wasn't young anymore, and their bodies couldn't move the way they used to be. They were old, and their minds weren't pure again, especially when they had achieved popularity, money, and worship by many people, so they developed a way of thinking where one no need to fight to win the fight.
Without a fight, no one would lose, so they achieved victory.
If some normal people heard that, they would be in awe.
However, whether it was Shishio, Tokugawa, Shibukawa, or any other martial artist in this world would think of the sentence above as idiotic.
The reason why one wanted to learn martial arts was to protect themselves. They couldn't beat someone with their physical ability alone, and that was where the martial arts were going to help them achieve victory.
If martial arts can't achieve that, it is better to close that martial arts down directly.
Some people, the aikido might be fake, and they thought that it was just a show.
However, that wasn't the truth since only a genius could learn the aikido and apply it to real combat.
Some people might have a hard time doing it, but Shibukawa wasn't one of them since he had perfected his martial art for as long as he could remember.
His body wasn't strong, he was short, and he was also old.
Any healthy young person, whether they had learned a martial art or not, could just beat such an old man with a sucker punch.
However, that didn't work on Shibukawa since he had mastered the aikido.
"It's Shishio Oga." Tokugawa sipped his warm tea gently and asked, "You have heard him, right?"
"Ah!"
Shibukawa, whose expression had been calmed, was surprised. "That young man is going to learn under this old man?" He might not have seen Shishio Oga before, but of course, he had heard his name, especially when Shishio had defeated Kaiou Retsu.
Even though it was quite shameful, Shibukawa was one of the people who thought Shishio's name was a joke. He had heard about the Kengan Match and also knew how those fighters were fighting for money.
It might be shameful and different from how he lived, but Shibukawa didn't have a hobby to comment on other people's way of life since he also knew how important money was. Moreover, he had been living so long, so he also had seen many things in his life.
Still, Shibukawa didn't think that Kaiou Retsu would lose against Shishio Oga, but he didn't expect the result to be out of his expectation. He might only have heard it from someone, but Kaiou Retsu lost, and it was an utter defeat.
"Interesting."
Shibukawa's old face was full of smiles, and his body was boiling in excitement. "When he's going to come?" He might not have been able to see Shishio's fight against Retsu and might have looked down on him before, but now, it was different.
What is the wish of every martial artist?
It is to become stronger and win every fight.
Their wish is simple, and it isn't overly complicated.
It is pure and beautiful.
It was different from those businessmen, who were busy making their wallets fat and causing their hearts to blacken because of their desire over material matters.
Shibukawa was also one of them. He was old, and he might not have many years in his life compared to young people, but even so, he had never given up on becoming stronger and won the fight.
Tokugawa could see Shibukawa's excitement, and he also wanted to see the fight between Shishio and Shibukawa, but there was something that he needed to remind Shibukawa. "It's okay if Shishio gives you an "okay" if you want to fight, but promise me, if he doesn't want to fight, you shouldn't force him."
Shibukawa looked at Tokugawa weirdly and asked, "It's not like you at all. What's wrong?" He folded his arms while observing Tokugawa, wondering whether this guy had eaten something wrong.
"Huh?" Tokugawa was confused.
"You know? When you hear that someone is going to fight, your eyes will be full of stars, and you're like a child who has received a gift from their parents." Shibukawa thought that Tokugawa had changed slightly somehow.
Tokugawa's expression became tired for a moment before he shook his head. "It's alright. You don't need to think too much, but just remember that if you want to fight, then you need to ask his permission first."
"Okay." Shibukawa nodded, then asked, "Still, do I have to be so careful?"
"I don't want this world to lose such a powerful master like you after all, and you're not Yuujiro Hanma who can receive a peace treaty from the United States, so just be careful, alright?" Tokugawa reminded Shibukawa once again.
Shibukawa became curious about Shishio's identity, but Tokugawa didn't say anything and changed the topic of the conversation, such as aikido and fight.
Shibukawa didn't mind, but suddenly he felt the world changed.
All the colors disappeared, and everything withered as if something had eaten the life essence of everything around him.
Shibukawa stood panicked and looked around before his eyes focussed on the direction of the entrance of his residence.
"What's wrong?" Tokugawa was confused as to why Shibukawa suddenly stood up.
Shibukawa didn't answer Tokugawa's words since he was afraid that he would be eaten by this person. His face turned pale, and his body was full of sweat.
Unlike other martial artists, Shibukawa could envision and feel how strong his opponent was before he even fought them. It might be because of his experience of fighting over the past decades or his sixth sense, he wasn't sure, but he could tell that the person that appeared in front of his residence was strong!
However, that vision disappeared when Shibukawa heard the ring of the phone from Tokugawa's side.
"Oh, Shishio? Have you come? Wait, there! I'll go there as soon as possible!" Tokugawa didn't care about Shibukawa and dashed toward the entrance of the residence.
Shibukawa took a deep breath, and somehow he felt several years older.
"It's not like a person, but a beast?"
That's how Shibukawa described it when he felt Shishio's aura from the outside.
"Tokugawa---"
Shibukawa noticed that Tokugawa had gone, so he also quickly dashed to chase after him since he was curious about Shishio Oga. He might be scared, but that beast didn't come to fight. Instead, that beast came, asking him to teach, so he didn't hesitate and met him.
---
Walking slowly, Shishio's hand was around Mai's waist, helping her to walk.
They did so much last night, and even though Mai had a good rest and recovered mostly, she couldn't walk so fast.
"What is this place?" Mai asked curiously, looking at the huge traditional Japanese-style house before her and many people with black suits and black cars parked outside of the house, but what made her dumbfounded was that the people with black suits guided Shishio inside respectfully.
Mai was quite nervous with all of those people, so she held him tightly, but her eyes kept staring at Shishio and the surrounding person curiously, waiting for his answer.
"It's the house of a master martial artist," Shishio said.
"You really came to learn martial arts?" Mai asked dumbfoundedly since she thought that he was joking.
"Didn't I tell you before?" Shishio was speechless.
"But - but I'd thought that you were joking..." Mai felt wronged, but then she became curious and asked, "What kind of martial art? Also, have you learned martial arts?"
Shishio wanted to say something, but someone came toward him with a dash.
"Shishio!"
Tokugawa ran toward him with an excited and cheerful smile on his face.
"Tokugawa-jii." Shishio nodded with a gentle smile.
Mai looked at Tokugawa curiously and felt strange by the name of this old man. 'Tokugawa?' She felt strange and kept looking at Shishio, waiting for him to explain, but Shishio didn't look at Mai. Instead, he looked at the old man that came after Tokugawa.
Similarly, with Tokugawa, the old man wore a yukata with socks and geta (wooden sandals). The only difference was that this old man wore glasses, and Tokugawa didn't.
Shishio and this old man stared for a moment before he smiled and said, "Hello, Shibukawa-sensei. My name is Shishio Oga, and this is my girlfriend, Sakurajima Mai. Tokugawa-jii might have explained it to you before, but I hope that you can teach me your knowledge."
Shibukawa nodded with a smile, but when he saw Shishio, he could feel a dread, feeling how powerful this young man was. However, he was also curious about what would happen if he taught his art to this young man.
"Haha..."
Shibukawa laughed, then said, "I don't mind teaching you, but you need to do one thing for me."
"If it's something that I can do, then I'll do it?" Shishio said simply.
Mai and Tokugawa looked at Shibukawa and wondered what he was going to say.
"Fight me," Shibukawa said with a serious expression and full of fire in his eyes.
This was how martial arts were. They wanted to become the strongest and win the fight.
However, they needed to choose their opponent well, or else...
Shishio smiled and thought that this old man was kind of cute. His expression was relaxed as if he had come to the playground, but his eyes were majestic.
"Okay. Let's do it. Give me your all, so you won't end up in the hospital, old man. However, you need to worry since even if you enter one, I have a hospital, so you won't need to pay."
Shibukawa laughed happily and said, "That's what I should tell you, little kid. Be careful, or else, you'll show something embarrassing to your girlfriend."
"..." Mai and Tokugawa.
They didn't expect the situation would turn into this.