-
-
While a mere kid sent the entirety of the TTC building into a murderous uproar that showed no signs of dissipating any time soon, not even a few blocks away within the 25th building in the Tokita Ward, the current atmosphere could be said to be rather jovial and festive.
-Well, as festive as it can get in an abandoned building, that is.
In a tawdry room with torn grey walls, a torn grey couch, and messy rubble scattered just about everywhere, the room displayed a depressive monochrome tone of dullness, completely contrasting with the cheery vibes of its current occupant.
Sitting within the ramble of what could be considered seats, the man present had a bit of a chat over the phone, boisterous and spirited as raucous laughter reverberated throughout the room.
"I appreciate it, Satou Shintarou-san. And don't worry. We'll wire the appropriate amount and a little extra as soon as possible." A voice from the phone echoed.
"Hmmn~ I like the sound of that." The drunken man named Satou said.
Now one could only wonder as to how this man even managed to get phone service in the slums of The Inside, but that is a story for another day.
Nonchalantly drinking in the middle of the room, sat a drunken man with shaggy black hair and sharp eyes who boasted incredible height, easily surpassing two meters which possessed an incredible physique, poorly hidden beneath a brown jacket, blue jeans, and black boots.
"Well, well, well..." Looking at the approaching child dressed in rags heading towards the building they were occupying, Satou smirked as he looked on.
"The kid's pretty good on his feet, light and fast too..."
"Looks like it's time to start moving..." Stretching lazily, Shintarou yawned out the answer in an almost inaudible fashion. "Another assassination job, another day to make money."
'Let's hope whoever is coming can put up somewhat of a fight, otherwise, this job will just be plain ol' boring...'
-
-
"Huuuf, Haaaah..."
Running at a brisk yet manageable speed, the brown-eyed boy in a cloak nimbly traversed through the streets of the Tokita Ward as the harsh rays of the lofty sun brightly shone down upon him, wrapping him in an ideal white light as the shrouded boy exhaled sharply, trying his best to calm his raging heart.
Gnashing his teeth as he ran towards his checkpoint, he realized that it was an unsightly feeling he usually experienced when he stood in front of the drunkard Satou and realized that whatever it was; he didn't like it.
It wasn't exactly fear per se, but it was a feeling that came after realizing that if they were to fight head-on he'd be outmatched and defeated, if not outright killed.
And if the growing scowl currently decorating his face wasn't enough proof, then the guttural growl emanating from the strained gnashing of his teeth could be the dead-ringer for the fact that the cloaked boy deeply hated this feeling.
After all, it wasn't just the fact that it showed the difference in strength between the two...
But it was the feeling that he associated with whenever he stood before that 'monster' in human's skin.
The 'monster' who by just being 'related' to him led him to be mistreated.
And the 'monster' that had a hand in turning his life upside down, ripping him from the abode he considered 'heaven', and then tossing him in this shithole of a place he called 'hell'.
'Is it pride?' The brown-eyed boy thought.
'Even though it's impossible for me to completely defeat that man as I am now, why does it make me so uncomfortable...' Gnashing his teeth at the thought of being weaker than someone, the boy soon relaxed his mind as he let out a chuckle, deriding himself for what to him would be an almost 'comical' mindset to have.
-'Remember, █ █ █ █ █ █ █...'-
"..."
'These words again... It's been a while since I've had this memory... It seems to always rise up again when I feel like I'm in deep shit...'
-SIGH-
'But just what the hell does it mean?...'
'Haaah... Boy am I too young for this shit... I'm even thinking about stuff like I'm going against the world hahaha…'
'Whatever, once I get back to 'home', I'll pick up the training a bit' The boy nodded resolutely.
-BANG!, BANG!, BANG!-
As he ran towards the Northernmost of the Tokita Ward where the 55th building was located, the boy could hear the clamoring and gunshots of several men quite far away from him.
'At most, I should have five to ten minutes before they come...'
Making sure that the other Yakuza saw where he was headed; The 55th building, yet another isolated building within the Tokita Ward just with the numbers '55' on them, the boy rushed into the building as he readied himself for the eventual gathering of the Yakuza mob.
Entering the ever-so-dilapidated buildings that were painted a dull gray, he headed in the direction of one of the rooms in which he overheard people speaking casually with each other, boisterous and nonchalant, as he heard the sound of beer cans clinking.
And how did he hear this from so far?
Well, it was a special survival sense that was fostered by the residents of the land within The Inside, especially by the ones who didn't want their lives to be cut short because of literal unseen threats, and for a child such the cloaked child who had managed to survive for as long as he did, his hearing was also nicely developed.
And with such developed hearing, he could sense how many people there were in a room and other smaller details despite not being within said space, though, such ability depended on how close he was near the aforementioned area,
Passing the room that contained the two men, he then ran up and down the first few floors, quickly scanning whatever items he could possibly use in the event that things got too crazy for his taste.
Not because he doubted that his employer couldn't handle the workload, but it was simply within his nature to be cautious and make sure that in the worst-case scenario he'd at least have something to fall back on.
'After all, if anything goes in this place, It's better to be safe than sorry.'
After a brief 'scanning' session, the boy went through several turns before entering a room that seemed to be cleaner than usual when he heard a familiar voice that sounded out behind him.
"Oi! Took 'ya long enough kid! Lemme guess, you were fiddling with your toys when you passed right by, huh?" A lazy yet brash voice drawled.
It was that 'Karate Man' as the boy would call him. A man standing around two meters, maybe a little bit taller than six-foot-seven.
-His name was Shintarou Satou.
He had shaggy black hair, a five-o-clock shadow's worth of stubble, thick eyebrows, and a strong nose, alongside slightly upturned black eyes with the laziest look the boy had ever seen on them.
"I was just trying to survive the suicide mission you gave me, old man." The boy simply said, looking at his 'employer' Shintarou.
"Ain't that so..." Moving over to pat the boy's shoulders, Satou seemed quite amused as he spoke. "Good job, kid…"
"So old man, what happens now?" The boy asked. "My job might be done, but there seems to be some kind of real heavy hitter working for the Don."
However, such warnings of caution fell on deaf ears as the Satou remained in his jovial, joy-filled ways.
Lazily leaping up and stretching, Shintarou said. "Is that so? Huh. Looks like I'll finally be able to stretch these muscles!"
Looking at Shintarou, the boy could not help but sigh. 'Looks like he's not taking it seriously as usual, huh…'
Looking towards the entrance of the building from the window, the boy could view the number of angry men rushing into the building, their minds clear on carrying out one sole action: revenge.
"Oh? Hey old man, they're here now…" The boy said.
"Hmmn, I see. That Gen boy sure ain't playing around huh…" Looking at the approaching group of thugs, Satou nodded. "Well, ever since he returned he's been doing quite good for himself..."
"What do you call it, returning to your roots?"
"Return?" The boy wondered. "Who the hell would return to a place like this if they got out?"
As the boy and Satou headed out of the room to the ground floor, they could hear the unharmonious chorus of violent thugs shouting and hollering expletives as they neared their destination. Picking up the pace, it was in no time that the path of both sides would finally intersect.
"There he is! That little fucker!"
Simply humming, Shintarou headed towards the center of the room. "Quite the rowdy bunch we have here today… Well time to go to work, I'll take over from here, kid."
"Be sure to stay back and watch, boyo. And maybe you'll see something that you'll like~"
'Well, it's not like there's something for him to worry about, anyways...' The boy shook his head. 'Alright, you drunkard, let's see what you're so proud of…'
-
-
"There he is!"
The time had come.
As he was 'hired' to do so, the boy in a cloak had not only caused trouble and trashed the Gen Yakuza Clan's building, but had lured the very disgraced men furiously stomping their way into the 55th building with their minds focused solely on one thing:
-Vengeance.
But unfortunately, to the looney thugs growling with red faces, enraged with the poor hand that life had dealt them, it may not be as apparent, but to everyone else it was clear.
Whether or not the thugs got their revenge or not by 'wasting' the kid, the damage was done.
The Gen Group's credibility would surely see a sharp decline. After all, in a place as lawless and heartless as The Inside, for men of his status, honor was everything.
Eyes can see, lips can move, and tongues will talk.
-'Some brat waltzed into your turf and messed shit up? A little brat at that? Are you serious?'
When news of such absurd nature becomes widespread, all hell will break loose within this sector of The Inside.
It wasn't the kind of damage done to the Gen Group that would destroy them completely, but it would inspire other detractors and wannabe thugs to try their luck to gain clout by using their gang as a 'proving ground' to gain more clout and rep.
Not to mention, the rivals of the Takahiro Group surely wouldn't miss out on this, now would they?
"Huh!? Who the fuck are you, old-timer!?" One of the thugs within the group yelled while pointing at Satou.
Narrowing his eyes, the frontman of the group of thugs stoically replied as he spoke to the few of his comrades that wielded firearms. "It doesn't matter who they are. Looks like the kid was trying to set us up, so just light this fucker up alongside the little shit."
"Osu!" The men yelled.
Aiming at the trio as they readied themselves to fire, the boy in a cloak moved to the side as per the signal given by Shintarou.
He had no idea how Satou Shintarou was going to fare against men wielding firearms but as the innocent curiosity of a child leaked out from within him; he had wanted to see just how he was going to pull it off.
'Don't worry old man; I'll at least give you a proper burial once you've kicked the bucket… Mother told me that it was at least a respectful thing to do.'
Furrowing his eyebrows into a stern grimace, the boy asked. "What are you going to do now, uncles? Those thugs are armed to the teeth…"
"No worries brat, you just watch very closely or you might miss it, Ok?" Satou said.
Twitching his eyebrows, he just decided to stay put and watch, but not before reminding Satou once again, just to be sure. "Keep your mind on the fight! old man! And don't get your ass riddled with bullets; you haven't paid me for this gig yet!"
"Yeah, yeah, kiddo." Shintarou laughed, waving his worries off with his hand.
"Get 'im!" The thug in front of the group roared.
Looking at the men with eyes as good as his, Satou could see a plentiful amount of sand and glass on their bodies to which he had to wonder just what the boy did to them.
-WHISTLE-
'Man, the kid really likes to play with sand...' Satou smiled. 'Well, nothing wrong with having a little fun in the sand...'
Dashing toward the 'leader' of the group, Satou viciously drove his fist into the man's solar plexus before slamming his elbow down at the nape of the man's neck, snapping the man's neck instantly.
"Guuuh…" The 'leader' groaned before going silent forever.
As the man slowly fell, Shintarou rushed towards the rest of the thugs holding firearms with a speed that their eyes simply couldn't keep up with, and within a very brief moment; disarmed them before brutally slamming them into the ground.
Satou then began to skillfully dislocate the goon's arms as he slammed them face-first into the room's concrete, causing the sound of sharp popping and cracking before dull thuds to resonate within the room.
-SNAP!, SHATTER!-
Wasting no time, he stomps on the fallen firearms, with enough force that they snapped into pieces before striding forwards, ramming his fist forcefully into the jaws and chin of several of the goons, then springing his leg skywards as he brought it down in a whip-like fashion upon his enemies.
"Guuaah!" Several pained shouts and screams could be heard as the situation devolved even further between the group of thugs.
After easily taking care of the first few of the thugs that wielded firearms, he then moved on to take out the rest of the group.
"Huh!?"
"What the!?"
Although it wasn't the first time that the goons had seen someone capable of fighting, it still was surprising for them to witness it as if it were a scene from a martial arts flick, in which even if they all attacked at once instead of waiting around one by one, they still were unable to actually hurt the two men.
Unfortunately though, they wouldn't even have enough time to mull over their situation as the damage being dealt by the two martial artists had only 'begun' to get crazier.
By using brutal combinations to break, crack, and shatter the thug's bones with both his legs and fists, alongside firm and precise grappling moves to toss several men about, some of the lucky ones got the chance to make out with a cold beauty by the exotic name of 'hard concrete floor' before going unconscious.
-And as for the unlucky ones…
-CRASH!-
They got sent crashing into the concrete wall and floor, most likely breaking bones and never waking up in the process.
"You! You motherfucker!" Furious beyond belief, one of the nameless thugs tries to stab Satou to no avail.
Frustrated, the man takes a big lunge to stab Shintarou in the jugular, but this certain action right here would be his undoing.
Avoiding the knife attack with slick and evasive moves, Shintarou firmly grasps onto the man's arms, seemingly using the man's own power against him as he sent him flying out of the window of the three-story building to his untimely demise.
"Aaaiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee!" The poor nameless thug cried out, his voice getting quieter and quieter until…
-SPLAT!-
A dull sound outside at the very base of the building resonated.
'Woah. What... What the hell… That… That was too fast… How the hell did he even pull this off!?' The boy wondered, his eyes widened to their limit.
'It's crazier than those fantasy books I got from the old man! Just who the hell is he really!?'
'That footwork, it's almost like he just went up and disappeared! And that guy who got sent flying! Plus it's like he just exploded forward to the thugs..'
Such events were bordering on the realms of fantasy to the boy, but for some reason, he couldn't avert his eyes from them. It was like a chasm with an extraordinary gravitational force, one so magnetic that had clasped onto his 'curiosity pouring from his eyes', and by the way things were going, it seemed as if it would never let go.
"Shit! Everyone, quick!"
Apprehensive of what had just occurred to the first dozen or so of their comrades, the rest of the thugs soon recovered and brandished the rest of their weapons as they banded together, circling the duo
-GLEAM!, SCHWEET!-
As the metallic sound of the blades echo in the room as the boy carefully watches this unfold, an eerie gleam can be seen within the eyes of the thugs as they inched closer and closer to the duo, ready for action.
Narrowing his eyes at the remaining men, Satou could see quite clearly that they had absolutely no intentions of retreating at this point in time, even after several of their comrades had been taken out. "Hmnn… For fodder trash, you sure do have some skills…"
"Meh... How troublesome…" Satou said blandly.
"Now!" The thugs roar.
-SWISH!-
Dodging the strikes of the crazed thugs, Satou resumed his process of pummeling their opponents. With him outright killing the unfortunate thugs via deadly strikes and throws that either crushed or broke their limbs, the number of opponents quickly dwindled.
"Aaaargh!"
"Ooof!
"Grauuugh!"
"What's wrong? Don't stop just yet!" Satou yelled.
Suddenly dashing in a random direction of a thug, Satou flexed his muscles as he clenched his fist.
'What... What is he trying to do now?' The boy wondered.
What happened next was a move so incredibly linear as he only moved in a straight line, that it was nothing like the masterful dodging from before.
"Ahh… Crap! O-" Yelled a random thug, who seemed to have been firmly planted in Shintarou's sights.
After clenching and hardening his muscles at the last possible second, Shintarou had simply punched straight ahead, and to the surroundings and especially the target, it was fatal.
-WHAM!-
"Kuuoorgh!"
With such a firm attack that had caved in the man's face, the man was sent flying as he went unconscious before he could even finish his cry of; "Oh no!"
Slamming into the wall at such great speed, the thug dented it as he cleared a path through some of his colleagues who had yet to move out of the way to avoid being hit.
However, this simply wasn't the end.
Using the same move, Shintarou continued the onslaught of the thugs as they slowly realized that even with their weapons, it wouldn't end well for them.
If what could be seen from the partially hidden expression of the boy wrapped in a cloak was anything to go off of, then this was quite the sight for them all, most especially the boy.
'I-Incredible… I-It's like they're on a whole other league compared to those thugs… Even if I use my 'tricks' I would never dream of being able to take them out like that...'
'Strong, so strong… But if they're that strong, then what about 'that' man then...' The boy thought, frowning as unpleasant memories of the years past gone resurfaced within his mind.
'I'll get that strong soon… Just wait… Then, no one will be able to mess with me…' He swore.
Taking a glance at the boy, Satou's lips turned upwards as he made an approving nod before effortlessly pummeling the rest of the thugs who were unfortunate enough to stand in his path. 'Even though I went quite faster than what normal people should be able to observe, the kid still was able to see most of it, huh…'
'That kid is a monster in the making… Then again, mostly all of 'that' man's 'spawn' are monsters in the making...'
""!""
As they were done 'playing' the thugs before them, suddenly without any warning, an armed man followed and entered the room, blazing recklessly as he tried to kill the duo.
-BRRRRRRRR!-
"Shit! Did I get 'em?" Genexclaimed
After the smoke of the gunfire had cleared up, the two dead bodies riddled among a group of downed thugs can be seen, bleeding as they lay unconscious and unmoving.
-Well, that is what Gen had expected at least.
However, truth is often stranger than fiction.
Seeing that not only did their attack spectacularly fail but that the duo was practically unharmed, an abundance of sweat began to travel down Gen's back. "Fuck! How the fuck are you still alive?!"
"Ah, fuck it!" Gen tossed the gun away as he sprinted toward Satou. "You can't trust that shit anyway!"
-BAAAM!-
As if a mini dust explosion went off, shards of hard rock had begun to fly about the place, splintering into smaller, yet still lethal pieces.
Easily dodging the attack that put a hole in the concrete ground, Satou playfully mocked the man, poking fun at him. "You sure showed that wall! But how about a fight with me, Don?
Looking directly at the man, Satou could see an amazing musculature that heavily radiated power. 'Ho? This one's physique definitely took years to build up.' Shintarou thought.
Casting a disdainful look at the number of unconscious men around him Gen steeled his gaze as a hint of a smirk could barely be seen. "So you are the one I'm looking for? Figures."
-FWIISH-
Suddenly emanating from Gen's body, an almost invisible pressure leaks out violently.
There had been rumors of people being hired to mess with Gen's businesses and cause trouble, and so far, with his fists, he had done a good job of making sure they never do it again for the rest of their lives.
By reducing their faces to bloody pulp with his bare hands.
'But this guy is different' Gen thought. 'Fodder like these guys can't take on monsters like him…'
After seeing what had happened to his comrades and especially the one planted firmly on the bottom floor unmoving and unresponsive as they slowly bled out, Gen knew that at this point there was no use in talking it out. Not that he ever planned on letting them go even if they had talked.
What he had to do was simple: Take the life of the man standing before him but also the life of that 'annoying little shit' that had caused a mess in his building.
"I'll take 'em 'On and Out'."
"Quite confident, ain't 'cha?" Satou said lightly. "Well, it'll be rude for me to put you down so easily after you've done all this for me…"
"Now then..." Satou said, only taking the man a tiny bit seriously.
The two started to stare at each other, gauging the other's abilities before the fight had even begun as they made minuscule motions trying to throw the other off.
-TWITCH!, TWITCH...-
-DASH!-
His muscles twitching, Gen rushed forward as he performed a flurry of attacks that boasted enough speed to cut through the air, each with the same power that had shattered the concrete ground.
Dodging them effortlessly, Satou never let up the mocking smile that had adorned his face as he moved side to side in an almost elegant manner, certain contrary to his usual behavior.
-SWISH, SWISH, SWISH-
Several savage blows by Gen were thrown out, yet absolutely none of them were landing. It was as if whenever Gen had 'hit' Satou, the blows would suddenly 'bend' if not outright missing.
"Haaaa!"
"!"
Raising his knee, Gen pushes with incredible force as he attempted to kick Satou in the abdomen.
Acting quickly, Satou brought his arms closer to his stomach while clenching his muscles, effectively guarding against the attack and taking no damage.
Though, Gen was far from done.
Not stopping for a breather, Gen began to wail on Satou, endlessly throwing all sorts of blows as Satou continued to keep up his guard, not moving once through the entire ordeal.
"Bet you regret it now, don't you? But it's too late because I've been paid to kill you, you cocky bastard!" Gen yelled.
"Heh." Grinning slightly, Once Gen's fists came into contact with Satou's arms, he used his guard to lightly redirect Gen's fists, sending him slightly off-balance before firmly planting his right foot into his abdomen, pushing him back a few meters.
"Guuhaa!? Grrrr..." Gen grunted with a murderous expression.
Even after looking at the expression of rage on Gen's face, Satou's teasing did not let up. "What's the matter, big boy? That can't be enough to take you out now is it?"
"Are you gassing out already? Your lack of stamina isn't something that the ladies will take kindly to, y'know…"
"Shut up!" Gen roared.
"Trust me on this, I've got plenty of years over 'ya, so I know what I'm saying." Satou calmly said.
"Normally they'll say that it doesn't matter and they love you just the same, but what you need to think about, isn't what they say to you, but to their friends..." Satou tried to advise the man. After all, teaching the next generation is the duty of the elders.
"Die already!" Gen yelled as he charged at Shintarou.
A swift barrage of blows were all deflected as Satou had buried another foot deep into Gen's stomach, the only difference this time is that it had sent the tall muscular man flying like he was a hundred kilograms lighter.
"Eh, no thanks, don't worry 'bout me though, how about you do it instead?" Satou said.
-THUD!-
"Guuhhuuu…" Gen painfully groaned. Leaking blood from his mouth, he quickly leaped up, cautious of his opponent's next move.
'My attacks... They're hitting, that I'm sure of... But at the same time, they aren't?' He glared daggers into the lazy-looking man in front of him, trying to see any flaws he could possibly exploit. But the stance Shintarou was, well…
-Lazy. And almost docile, as if he never had any intention to fight in the first place.
"Are you done already? I could'a sworn that you had more fight left in ya', boy" Satou said.
"Tch!"
"!"
"Shaa!" Gen yelled, driving his fist forward to Shintarou's temple.
But…
-CLASP-
Shintarou had calmly yet firmly clasped his fist before using his own strength against him, sending him flying into a wall and crashing down.
"Kuooo!?"
-THUD!-
'That move! Who is he really...' Gen coughed up crimson blood, thinking so while glaring hatefully at Satou.
"Grrr..."
-EXHALE-
Exhaling the man had gotten up over and over as they had continued to fight, but there was one thing that had left the cloaked boy confused.
'What the hell is that big oaf doing? Why does he look even more lousy than when he was 'fighting' me?' The boy thought.
Seeing the man that him trouble defeating being manhandled like this was certainly strange for the boy, even if it was 'natural' for him to win in a fight against him anyway.
Maybe it was a budding sense of pride? An overwhelming sense of pure confusion? Who knows.
'I wonder though… Just how long does he intend to play with this big guy?'
Stepping closer to the quiet Satou, Satou clenched his fist "Looks like this is it, buddy boy~"
-SNEER-
Gen had suddenly made a rather unpleasant expression as Satou had stepped closer and closer until...
Raising his fist, Satou slowly spoke "Now, to end thi-"
"!"
-RUMBLE, RUMBLE-
Gen sprinted with a speed that the cloaked boy watching was starting to have trouble keeping up with, putting an impressive amount of strength in his arms, as one could see the bulging veins and muscles as he brought it down on Satou.
-WHAAAAM-
'!'
'Old man...' The boy narrowed his eyes.
"How about now, huh? How's that cheeky look on your face after I hit you point-blank?" Gen spat, disdainful of Satou's laid-back attitude while fighting him.
-FWEEEEHH-
As the dust began to clear itself out, it revealed a perfectly fine Satou with a portion of the clothes on his arm torn to shreds.
"Hmmn, It's still the same, to be honest…"
"!"
"What!? How the hell are you still standing!? How did you block that!?" To say the Don was shocked would be an understatement as this move had used almost every ounce of strength in him and was capable of even shattering concrete to dust.
Looking at Satou one could see his muscle hardening as he stretched his arms over and over. "Huh? Why are you so surprised? Nothing about that blow was 'unblockable' anyway!"
"Tch, Once agai-" Trying it once more, Gen flexes his arm but is interrupted as Shintarou closes in on him.
"Tut, Tut, Tut. That won't work a second time, dumbass." Satou coyly drawled, waving his index finger side-to-side as he clicked his tongue
"!"
'Damn it! I have to dodge! And quickly' The Don thought. His decades' worth of fighting experience told him… No, warned him that if he'd stuck around in this same position any longer, then things would get even uglier for him.
Belatedly moving backwards in an attempt to open the distance, it was to no avail as Satou had instantly closed the distance each time with a speed well faster than his eyes could react to.
-FWWSHHH-
Getting closer and closer each time to Chouji, Satou muscles flexed and hardened as he raised his fist once more. "Let me show you how you really do that little trick of yours…"
-SKIIID-
"Hyeut!"
-WHAM!-
Driving his fist into Gen's chest cavity with explosive speed and strength, the entire room suddenly goes silent.
"..."
"…"
-drip, drip, drip-
The sound of liquid falling, blood in fact as it pours out of Gen's mouth as if his heart was a broken faucet.
-drip, drip, drip-
-FWOOOOOOOO-
As the tepid wind flows lightly into one of the many rooms within this abandoned three-story building, the curtain in the occupied room is pushed away as even more light enters the room.
-THUD!-
Falling first into the slowly building pool of his own blood, Gen had slipped into the vast lands of unconsciousness.
One where he would never return till the ends of time.
Looking at the sight that had unfolded before him the boy exclaimed.
'It shouldn't be so easy.'
'To take down someone that strong.'
'It really shouldn't.'
"Looks like you cleaned them up nicely, boy~" Satou said, peering over the boy's shoulder.
The Yakuza that survived had tried running away earlier after were already beaten black and blue by Satou so the boy finished them off, evident as they lay there, silent and unmoving on the ground.
'I'm exhausted,' The boy stood with his mouth agape. 'But forget feeling tired, this guy doesn't even 'look' like he's 'beginning' to 'break a sweat'...'
-CLENCH-
Gripping his now sweaty palms until they started to turn red, the boy alternated between staring at the Don on the floor and Satou shock, and the legion of goons battered into unconsciousness laying on the floor. 'If I would have issues taking them on, and these old guys just dropped them like flies... T-then am I really that weak?'
Seeing the boy's shock, Satou merely smiled while rustling the boy's hair. "If you keep your mouth open, a fly is going to 'fly' right into it, kiddo~"
-RUSTLE, RUSTLE-
"And with this, my boy… Your job is officially done!" Shintarou cheered.
"…"
Stretching side to side while letting out a lazy yawn, Satou began rustling through the pockets of the goons, trying to find any item of significance.
"Listen, kiddo, I'm going to hit up my client for a while before heading out to nip the rest of this little 'problem' in the bud. Afterwards, you could meet me for your payment, and since you did quite the job, I'll put in a little extra, how's that sound eh?"
"…"
Continuing his speech, Shintarou paced the room. "And one more thing, try not to go out on the streets too much for the following week ok? Cause it's going to be a bloodbath soon, and you wouldn't want to try so hard at living just to end up dying in a gang skirmish, alright?"
"…"
Realizing that the boy wasn't answering due to being lost in his own thoughts, Shintarou gingerly shook the boy. "Oi kid! You heard what I said?"
"Huh!? Yeah... Sure… I hear you loud and clear…" Snapping halfway out of his wonderment, the boy was able to give a somewhat coherent answer to the man's inquiries before zoning right back into his thoughts.
Memories of the shadowy figure of a woman emerged, gently caressing his head.
-'Remember, █ █ █ █ █ █ █...'
A feminine voice spoke, smooth and soothing, it was a soft bell-like voice that seemed as if it could halt the most ferocious of beasts and waterfalls with just a listen. Even now remembering it alleviated some of the boy's rising frustration as he began to cool his head.
"Haaaah…"
'Soon… I promise…' The boy thought, his eyes glazing over with an almost indecipherable light, akin to that of a raging flame.
'Hmmn. Looks like even if his body currently can't keep up with it, his vision and reflexes seem to be on the way to becoming top-notch…' Satou thought as he spared the boy a single glance, realizing that the boy was also analyzing his fight from earlier.
If it's one thing the people of The Inside shared, then it was their desire not just to survive, but to 'live'. But what did they mean by that? Aren't they living right now? Or did they have dreams of life even greater than the one they currently lead?
Something akin to a celebrity moving out of the hood once they had 'made it'; in showbiz would be one of the common answers, but not all of them.
'Now, It depends on whether the boy can train his body to keep up, or will it just waste away… But knowing 'that' man, it seems like he'll do anything to make sure that that won't happen…' Satou let out an amused chuckle.
'Ah, this kid's a monster in the making.'
'Though, if I were to bet my money on it… Then the one true opponent this kid might face in the future might be from the very 'roots of his blood' itself.'
'After all, No matter how ferocious, terrifying, and evil that 'monster' may be, there's no way it'll allow its very own 'seed' to grow to become mere 'fodder'...'
'So as long as this kid's still alive...'
'Then it's for good reason...'
"Heh... Hehe" Satou let out a small laugh.
-GRIN-
'The next generation is going to be quite the spectacle, eh?'
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-Later That Evening-
-BARK!, BARK!-
Walking past the array of armed men minding their own business as they got high on drugs, unresponsive bodies lining the land, and vicious canine animals barking nonstop, the boy ignored it all as he headed towards his home, his body light as usual, but his mind heavier than before.
'If I were to do all I could to try and kill that old man…'
'If this were a fight with our lives on the line…'
'Then, in the end, I'd be dead… No, 'Super Dead'.'
'Those guys… They're just beyond what I'm currently capable of...' The boy in a cloak sighed once more. It was as if today was the day in which he'd do that nonstop, and it was starting to irk him.
-'Remember, █ █ █ █ █ █ █...'- The feminine bell-like voice rings in the boy's ears again…
'This memory again... It doesn't help the fact that I can barely remember what happened next...'
"Haa- No, not again…" The boy stopped himself before he popped a blood vessel in frustration.
'How frustrating…'
Casting a glance at the utter dullness and perpetual grey that filled his eyes, the boy muttered softly. 'I… I refuse to live in this shithole for the rest of my life… I just can't do it…'
'And I swear, after I find the bastard that threw me in this hellhole, I'll fucking kick his ass...'
'Though, that might be easier said than done...' The boy mused.
Remembering the events that had transpired, the boy's face slowly broke into a mean-spirited snarl before returning to his previous, ever-so-neutral expression. 'However, not everything is all gloomy though, I might not be able to completely see that old man's moves… But, I sure as hell did gain some kind of inspiration.'
'Now I just have to get stronger...'
-'Remember, █ █ █ █ █ █ █...'- The shadowy figure of the woman calls out to the boy once more…
-'You shouldn't just give up without trying all right? It might be tough, but I'm sure that you'll brave through it.'
'After all, you're my strong boy, aren't you dear?'
'You seem to be really confident in me, y'know? Even more than I am in myself… I wonder why that is…' The boy thought while looking up into the darkening sky.
'Huh, Mother?'
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Chapter 3: Oldie's Fight (REDUX) END