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"Get up…"
Deep within the abyss of a shadowy void, in a place inaccessible by man but known if not possessed by every one of them, a disembodied voice could be heard calling out to someone.
"Hurry up…"
Calling out once more, the voice beckons with a firmer tone.
"Get up..."
Yet who is the target of this voice, and for what purpose?
"Listen, my son, you must never give up on your dreams okay?" The voice echoed deep within the abyss, reaching every nook and cranny as it seemed to reverberate around the pitch-black void.
"And remember... To always do your best, okay…"
"-Myoujou?"
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And so Myoujou had woken up.
He had found himself battered and bruised in his occupied room, as if someone had just upped and tossed him there.
Not that he minded though, he had made too many enemies to be sleeping outside.
And as Myoujou bandaged himself up and stayed home to recover, days passes by as quick as running water from a lake.
Lying down Myoujou stretched his fist outwards as he looked up at the ceiling, with his body covered in bandages he had been taking it slow, though he could feel that he was beginning to heal.
He always was one to heal fast, so this wasn't a surprise to him.
What was a surprise was that for some reason, he felt stronger, more rejuevenated, more... capable.
Thinking back on his life up to this point, he had wondered just what he had managed to do, and whether it would be enough in the future.
-The Inside.
-A lawless land where strength and power held the highest order.
-The slum of all slums within Japan.
Out of years he spent living here, the first year was undoubtedly the worst.
Hundreds of near-death experiences and having to learn lessons the hard way had nearly erased any hope he had in this world, and almost every drop of that 'innocent' childlike naivety held was almost been vanquished.
-Well, except for wanting to become something greater than a 'King', a 'Demon King'.
-"Well my son, 'unfortunately', there are no 'Demon Kings' in this world… Well if you exclude the likes of Oda Nobunaga… However! There is a Prime Minister of Japan though."- His mother said.
-The Prime Minister.
He had no intentions of becoming some Prime Minister.
Becoming rich can do the same thing, right?
To Myoujou, a place like this shouldn't exist.
-In this world, there will be the 'good' and there will be the 'bad'. A balance of sorts that works within the confines of the world. After all…
-The only fair thing in this world, is how unfair it is for everyone.
Yes, people can be evil, people can be wicked, and humans can be bad, blah, blah, blah.
However, it didn't mean that people were a lost cause. It didn't mean that people had to suffer because of it.
'Satou said that the top-dogs of this country gave up on this place… But when I gain more strength, I could change all of this- Right?' Myoujou thought hopefully.
It was an appealing yet daunting prospect. And although he was quite young, he wasn't as naive as to believe that he could just walk up to everyone and tell them 'No fighting!' while crossing his arms and world peace would be established soon after.
-Being a child didn't mean that he would be that silly person that believed such nonsense.
-And if something like that were to happen, he would've preferred to have never woken up than to have his IQ match the temperature of the freezing point of oxygen.
But first, before any big plans, he needed to heal and then leave this place.
He'd been tossed in this hellhole by his supposed father, and although all signs pointed to this being true, he still couldn't accept the fact.
He knew he understood, and he felt that it was true… But he just couldn't admit it.
'Me? Call that piece of shit something like that 'Father', or even 'Daddy'? Like hell, I'd do that!'
'He might've been my Father, but he sure as hell ain't my Daddy!"
But as time passed as he stared at the ceiling listlessly, he frowned as his eyes glistened wetly. "That man… I wasn't able to do anything to him- It was as if it was all a game…"
Wallowing in self-doubt he continued to stare blankly at the ceiling before a little item fell out of the side of his tattered pants pocket.
"?"
The item that fell out of his pocket, was a little handwritten letter.
'Use it well, brat? The hell is this?' Myoujou thought as he opened the letter. Did that bastard give him this? If so, then he didn't want to open it.
However, as soon as he made the motions to tear the letter into shreds, something surprising caught his attention.
"…"
'This… This is Mother's handwriting… But how?'
It had carried the simple well-written initials on it.
-'M.K'.
-'Misao Kurogami'.
It was the name of his mother.
Grasping the letter with all of his attention, Myoujou held the letter with the utmost care, as if it were a piece of 'Fine China' that he was frightened it might shatter into a myriad of pieces.
-'Dear Myoujou…'
'-Are you eating well? I know that you hate eating vegetables, and if someone isn't there to watch over your eating habits you might just starve...'
'-You'll most likely find this letter much later than when I'm writing this, and by then I'm sure you'll be experiencing quite the amount of hardships in your life. But even then...'
'As always, you worry too much Mother... Too much about me, and not enough about yourself.' Myoujou sighed with heavy breaths.
'-I've told you many stories of when I used to travel the world, right? I'll gift you with these letters of said journeys, after all these places I visited were quite the nice places If I say so myself."
-blink, blink-
He didn't read everything in the rather thick letter, and it didn't seem like he'd be able to thanks to his vision starting to become cloudy.
There was something in his eyes.
'-Also, I've said this once, and I'll say it again. Well, more along the lines of writing it of course. But Myoujou, If you find something that you can believe in and dedicate yourself to, then remember to do so wholeheartedly, and to never just give up If you can help it, alright?'
'-....'
'-....'
'-....'
At this point in time, even if he tried to continue reading, he'd see nothing but blurred, foggy lines of words.
After a lengthy paragraph addressing him, he wiped his eyes just enough so that he could see clearly once more as he turned the paper on its back to find several addresses and area codes written on it with one final line.
-'From me to you, my dear Myoujou.'
'Misao Kurogami'
"These numbers… They're co-ordinates... It's where Mother visited before, right?"
Myoujou breathed heavily as he began to wipe his eyes nonstop.
There still was something in his eyes once again
It filled his eyes, slightly obscuring his sight.
Foggy, Cloudy, and Wet.
-What were they if not tears?
But for some reason, as they rolled down the sides of his face, those tears felt warm, hot even.
Those tears felt hot, hotter than the wound on his chest, hotter than the light in his eyes, and hotter than the fire in his heart at this moment.
'The next time... I- I won't lose the next time… I swear!' He silently vowed within his heart.
Days passed as Myoujou's injuries completely healed at an astonishing rate, placing him back at his 'peak' condition, to which he would then return to his usual 'home' and daily life routine, though one of the only things that changed was the additional presence of two to sometimes three people passing by within his life.
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-ABANDONED APARTMENT ROOM-
Satou was chilling in his 'apartment' that he temporarily used when this kid named Myoujou suddenly come around with a pensive yet determined look etched on his face.
Knowing Myoujou and the 'hard-ass' attitude he usually donned, he originally thought that the boy was knee-deep in some serious shit and had to bite his pride to ask for some help, but to his surprise, it wasn't anything like that.
-Though not too far off, it was quite different actually.
That Myoujou with his raven black hair that was always covered in that cloak. That boy who had seemed almost robotic in his daily routine...
-That boy had wanted him to teach him 'Martial Arts'.
"Are you serious about it- You're not joking are you?" Satou asked. "So you're saying… That you want me to teach you martial arts, eh brat?"
"Yes. Please teach me your techniques!" Myoujou nodded whilst bowing. After seeing the incredibly tall and muscular man fight, he decided that it was in his best interests to hopefully train under him if he wanted to become stronger, hence he set out to ask.
Staring at Myoujou for a few seconds the corners of Satou mouth lifted as he broke out into an amused chuckle. "Hehehe-! Alright, alright… No need to be so stiff boyo! It almost doesn't suit you, haha."
"So… Is it a 'Yes'?" Myoujou asked, his eyes lighting up a tad bit.
"No."
"?"
What?
What exactly did he mean by that? With how happy the old man seemed, Myoujou was certain that he would've agreed. But instead of a 'Yes', he received a 'No'. So why?
Furrowing his brows Myoujou took a clearer look at Satou. "Huh? Why not?"
Lightly sighing, Satou rustled through one of the bags he owned, before pulling out a can of cheap beer. In all honesty, he did want to teach the boy alright, but he felt that Myoujou should at least know what he was getting into before anything else.
"You got some real' good potential kiddo, if you left this place you could easily learn some martial arts from somewhere and at least become an 'Expert', or even a 'Master'."
"I mean, you've got the genes of your father, the 'Ogre' anyways... So it's sorta impossible for you to be a weak scrub with such blood running through your veins…"
With his eyebrows raising Myoujou tried to control his surprise when he realized that the man in front of him had some clue of who his father was, remembering that when he felt someone was tailing him and asked Satou whom it may be, though he didn't receive an answer, the old man also had made no attempts to hide the fact that he did know something.
"My genes? 'The Ogre'? My father? So you know that guy, Old man? That guy that I met a whole three times total in my life and he kicked my ass in all of them?" Myoujou said, a slight scowl adorning his face as he remembered such events.
"Hmmmn… Something along those lines- but never mind that, what I want to know is…" Satou smiled wryly upon hearing Myoujou's words before his face donned a serious expression.
"Just what do you want to use 'Martial Arts' for?"
"What do I… want to use it for?" Myoujou mumbled as he went silent.
He deeply pondered the question.
As Myoujou stood in place frozen, his feet rooted into the ground like a firm tree, he remembered many things that occurred in the years that passed.
-The first time he got tossed into The Inside.
-The first fight he had within The Inside in which he had barely escaped with his life.
-And finally, the encounters with his father whose overwhelming strength had made all of his training and tricks and weapons useless, leaving him utterly defenseless.
Myoujou frowned, digging his nails into his palms as he clenched his fists tightly. "I don't want to be 'just strong'… I want to be stronger- Stronger than the strong, and even stronger than the strongest even!"
"I hate losing! Everything about it! And I hate that this place even exists!"
"It's just that… That I…"
"It's just that I can't stand the idea that there are other people out there that are stronger than me-!" Myoujou said with more emotion than he thought he had as he loosened his fists, his now red palm filled with fingernail marks.
"Heheheh…" Looking at the boy before him after hearing his answer, Satou scratched his chin stubble as he broke into a light chuckle.
"Haiyaaa-! You young ones are really something else, eh? I like it!"
"But I have one more question for you, kid." Satou said. He was almost done, but this question was arguably the most important one of today.
He stared directly into Myoujou's eyes as he said. "Just how far are you willing to go, huh? Are you willing to learn under me- Even if you might have to take a life in the future?"
"Even when... You might even lose your own life?"
"?"
Being taken aback a bit due to how sudden the question was, Myoujou lowered his head as he went silent, mulling over what he was asked.
Just how far 'was' he willing to go?
Seeing him go silent, Satou continued. "Because anyone can say some kind of shit like 'Leave no stone untouched or leave no loose ends', but to me…"
"Most of those people- Are full of shit."
"Most of the people that talk shit about trying to kill are probably people that have never been in a fight, more or less made someone bleed, and yet they can talk about life or death. And then the ones that 'do' kill, either turn into whiny bitches when it's their turn to die, or end up using a whole bunch of reasons and excuses to justify what they've done… When you think about it, it's funny huh?"
"People talk about killing day to day and never really realize how easy it is to say that when you're in the comfort of your home or a peaceful society…"
"'Well If I was in 'this' situation, I would do 'that', and other lies they can tell themselves.'"
"Whether in your mind, or a fight anyone can say it… But can they mean it? Do they really know the value of a life?"
Upon hearing this Myoujou felt slightly perplexed as he questioned Shintarou. "-The value of a life? How can you ask me that, if you're asking me about if I can kill someone?"
Looking at Myoujou, Shintarou chuckled slightly before opening a can of beer and downing it. "Heh... You should know what I'm talking about, kiddo."
"-Especially since you've got blood on your hands as well."
Satou hummed with his chin in his hand. "It ain't too hard to guess how you ended up with blood on your hands. Precise strikes aimed at the jugulars coupled with a lack of hesitation are a dangerous combo- A combo that could clue anyone worth their salt in on the answer.…"
"I'm guessing that before The Ogre tossed you in here, you did someone in... But looking at you right now, it was probably in a moment of desperation, in defense even."
"-It's easy to tell, since your Ki is pretty soaked in blood, y'know…"
'Ki-? The hell even is that?' Myoujou thought.
"It's easy to see really, your skills, and how you act on a day-to-day basis, a real stroke of luck- A 'lucky' accident that led to you staying alive. Something that I'm sure hasn't happened since then. But do you have the willpower or the strength to go beyond that?"
Looking at the center of his palm as if there were something important within, Myoujou sank even deeper into his thoughts. "Go beyond-?"
-Almost five years ago in that very manor in which he would later meet 'The Ogre'…
-An event that had changed his life, whether it was for the better or worst.
Tossing the empty can away, Satou stood up and paced around his room. "You see kiddo, at the same time when it comes to taking a life; many people got their own idea of it, their philosophy, their motto if you will…"
"There's those 'Katsujinken/ Life-Saving-fist' fellows who believe that no matter where or when, they should never take a life at all when they fight. To them life is sacred, and they should preserve it at all costs."
"I'm not too fond of those guys, but the fact that they're actually strong enough to win fights gives them a few points."
"The fact that they don't finish off their opponents that come back time and time again for rematches docks a few points off though."
"Then there's the 'Satsujinken/ Killing-Fist' guys, who on the other hand are the complete opposite in what they believe, thinking that you gotta strike to kill and never hold back when in a fight. While not all of them think you have to kill twenty-four-seven, to them, 'Martial Arts' were made to kill and destroy, so they should do just that."
"And then there's the 'Gedou/ Demon Fist', but they're just the second example taking to the extreme- For strength, they'd kill for the sake of killing." Satou said, but if one listened closely, one could hear a faint tone of disdain within his voice as he explained the last belief.
"Nothing more than living like a filthy animal, in my opinion. Even a try-hard wannabe tough guy couldn't give the benefits of believing in shit like that."
"See, I'm not saying you gotta become a stone-cold killer, or even choose one belief at all... It's 'your' life kid, you should make the most of it. But unless you're coming in with the mindset to fight with your all, then it wouldn't be much reason in training you…" Satou said.
Satou was a man of many words, but a 'Hero' was never any one of them.
Nodding for Myoujou to follow him, the two then left the apartment, walking through the streets of the 'Niko Ward' as he continued to lecture the boy. "I ain't no saint, but at the same time, I don't plan on becoming the antichrist either. As hypocritical as it may be, I got no plans on training somebody who's just gonna become another mass murderer without a purpose, you see?" he said while ruffling the boy's hair.
As they walk through the streets, they saw many things that would make up the usual day-to-day life of the average inhabitants of these glorified slums. Drug selling, prostitution, and violence alike, the two kept on walking as Satou finally reached his destination; an open space further away from all of the dilapidated buildings.
Standing before Myoujou with a firm look etched on his face, he questioned the boy one final time as he reached the end of what he wanted to say. "It's a hard road, and the training will be even more torturous… So with that being said, do you still want to learn, eh kiddo?"
Mulling over all the man told him today, he knew that not only had the man taken many jobs from being a bodyguard to assassination itself, but also possessed the strength to do such tasks, Myoujou realized that the man's opinion that he just received deserved at least this much introspection on it, so he did just that to make sure he wouldn't regret his future decisions.
-He knew that he wanted to set out, and become even more than he was now, with few if none that could even dream to compare to him
-To become so powerful that the even thought of him being threatened or challenged would become something of a taboo.
-And now he had the chance. The chance to finally change one thing within his life and steer it by the captain's seat, instead of sitting in the passenger's seat all of his life.
"Never give up, my son." He could hear his mother's voice echo in his memories.
It echoed over and over. So many times he thought he'd gone crazy.
But this time. It felt good. It felt that it had an ever-growing feeling of hope and purpose mixed in its tone. And he liked that.
Clenching his fists as he gave Satou a firm, determined look, Myoujou spoke loudly. "Yes. I wanna learn from you."
"…"
"…"
After a short stare-down that felt like it lasted several minutes between the two, Satou broke into a small smile.
"Hehe- Well in that case it's all too simple what happens next then… Welcome aboard chump!" Satou cheered, his previous serious attitude vanishing.
"?"
"Huh?" To say Myoujou was confused was an understatement. Wasn't he on a tirade about how it 'wasn't' 'all-too-simple'? At first, he thought that it was the alcohol that had gotten to Shintarou's brain before abandoning that thought, thinking maybe that those who are strong possessed higher alcohol tolerance.
-After all, even if they were all human at the end of the day, the strong were quite different than those who were not.
Settling on a rather pleasing thought of the man being impressed by his determination, Myoujou gave a small smirk as he began to pester Satou nonstop on what he would learn, now that he finally found a martial arts Master.
"So what am I even gonna learn, Sensei?"
"Sensei, huh? That doesn't sound too bad… But no need to call me that, kid." Satou mused, stroking his chin stubble. "You see, I like to consider this the new evolution of an old style I learned with all of my brothers all those years ago, a style those after years and years of revamping I brought to a new level…"
"And its name?" Myoujou asked, beginning to feel a little bit excited. Well… Maybe a lot.
"Impatient huh…" Satou smirked. "But its name is…"
"Tenrai Shikyō-ryu/ Heavenly Four-Mirrors Style."
"Tenrai… Shikyō… ryu?" Myoujou mumbled staring at Satou who just nodded his head.
"Right." Satou nodded. "It's not enough 'just' to beat people and win against them. With these 'Four mirrors/Shikyō' I developed showcasing their back, their sides, and their front, and everything they have under their sleeves, I wanna effectively dismantle and destroy their cherished techniques when we fight…" Satou said, raising his hands to the skies as he clenched them tightly.
"To dismantle and destroy their techniques? It seems as even you too got some kind of ambition, eh, old man?" Myoujou said as he thought once more about what he wanted to become in the future.
Remembering embarrassing childhood memories in which he said he wanted to become a king, or even more, a demon king, he wondered just what kind of mental issues he had back then to even think of such things. But then... He began to understand why he said that all those years ago.
-Someone with all of that money, power, and strength at their disposal just waiting to be used.
-An existence both feared and revered for its unrelenting power and ambition.
-The more he thought about why he wanted to become such things in the past the more he realized.
-What he wanted was the power associated with those names.
-The funds and the ability to move and change not only other people's lives, but his very own.
-And to not only become strong but to become stronger than those who are considered strong themselves.
"Hey." Myoujou asked. "Do you think I could become a 'King/Ōu'? Or even more- Possess strength like a 'Demon King/ Maōu?'"
"A Maōu/ Demon King? You mean like Oda Nobunaga? It seems that even you have some childish dreams, huh? Sounds like a weird aspiration for a kid to want to be like one of the most hated and vilified people in Japanese history…" Satou said, raising his eyes at the almost fantastical nature of the question.
"But if it's strength comparable to that stuff, then you got it. But remember… your training is going to be hell if you want that kind of power."
"Then I'm in… I'm definetely in." Myoujou smiled.
Satou chuckled as he took a good look at the boy before him. "Now that I think of it, calling you brat or kiddo all the time will get old, so… You got a name to go by?"
'My name huh?' Myoujou thought as he clenched the thick letter he held deep within his pockets. He thought about the name of his mother, the person he wanted to leave these slums to see in the first place.
-'MK. Misao Kurogami.' The name of his mother.
Other than the fond memories he had with his mother, he didn't have any other close relations that he cared about and that cared about him somewhat other than the bastard that he now knew was his father, but he was going to cherish the name that his mother gave him.
-Myoujou. It was a name that could mean a 'Star' or as his mother would say, 'A star of the stage'.
"Myoujou. My name is Myoujou Kurogami. And don't you forget it." Myoujou said with a confident gleam in bright hazel brown eyes.
Nodding while he repeated the name in his head to remember it, Satou began to stretch as he stared down the young boy. "Myoujou huh… Well then Myoujou-boyo, how healed are you right now?"
"Huh? Right now?" Myoujou asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Better than before, I guess."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Perfect." Satou smiled. "Just in time for the first lesson."
"!"
Satou had suddenly dashed towards the boy with a speed that even his eyes couldn't track. If the speed he used when he fought those Yakuza up in those buildings registered as a blur to his eyes, then this speed now was currently unfathomable to the young boy.
"Lesson one; There is no such thing as a fair fight, even when people say there is."
"So under no circumstances should you ever let your guard down."
And thus began the story of a star, a bright and shining star whose goal was to reach the top of not only the country, but the world itself, though such a journey would be anything but easy, he was aware of it, and he wasn't going to give up anyway.
What Myoujou wanted wasn't just strength but the power and honor that came with it, and he was willing to persevere for it.
-To become the strongest martial artist and most influential man in the world.
Time had passed as he trained under a man named Satou Shintarou, the man whom most would consider his 'Sensei'.
And so in the year 1999, he would be preparing himself for his eventual departure from the land known as 'The Inside', ready to broaden his horizons.
And so, 3 years passed by...
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Chapter 5: Onwards (REDUX) END
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And Here The First Arc Is Finished, Short And Sweet For An Introductory Arc
Thanks for reading this, I appreciate it!