Kawagoe, Japan.
This was the city called home by Mamoru Hasegawa.
It was also the city that Kouta was brought to after his battle with Abe Shinya.
Here, the landscape was very much more peaceful and serene than the rushing excitement that came with Tokyo, which was only twenty miles away.
Kouta was brought here to be taken care of by the monks. There was a small settlement within the city where a tribe of monks lived and studied. To Kouta's surprise, they were also quite proficient in using Zen, and gave him a few lessons during his stay.
Kouta walked up a flight of stairs towards a small temple surrounded by trees. There a yellow-clad monk was in prayer.
Kouta respectfully waited for the man to finish. He sat down near the edge of the stairs and closed his eyes.
After some minutes pass, the monk stands and turns to look at Kouta, who is still sitting down patiently.
"Ah, Kouta. It has been a while."
Kouta opened his eyes. He stood up and bowed slightly in respect. "It has."
"Are you here to see Hasegawa?"
Kouta nodded. "Yes."
The monk motions for Kouta to follow him.
Kouta was led down a path through the forest until they arrived at a temple.
The ground was laid out with perfectly placed, but worn out, gray stone. There were many other monks dressed in yellow walking around the premises as well.
"I actually missed this place now that I'm back." Kouta said.
The monk led Kouta straight through a courtyard and onto another, but smaller, temple.
The two-story pagoda was decorated with two golden dragons, both wrapped around the first tier.
The monk signaled Kouta to head inside.
"Thank you." Kouta said.
The monk nodded to him and left.
Kouta headed inside to find Hasegawa in the middle of the wooden floor meditating. Kouta could smell the incense burning in the air.
Hasegawa grunted. "Kouta. What brings you here?"
Kouta took off his grandfather's necklace. "I was wondering if there was anyone here that could take a look at this."
Hasegawa opened an eye. "Oh...?" He held out his hand.
Kouta tossed him the wooden artifact.
Hasegawa took a good look at it. "This belonged to... your grandfather. Yes... I've seen this before. If I'm not mistaken this holds one of his yokai."
"His yokai...?!" Kouta exclaimed.
Hasegawa nodded firmly. "Hm. However, I'm not the one who can awaken it." He stood up. "Come. I will take you to Master Yu."
As they walked, Kouta asked questions. "Who is Master Yu?"
"He's an old friend. You could say that he is the master of all the monks here. He taught them everything they know. Though these days he almost never comes out of seclusion."
"I wonder what kind of person he is..."
"Not the kind to be toyed with. Master Yu is well over three hundred years old. He meditates day and night without eat, drink, or sleep. Humph, I'd be surprised if he even bothered to talk to us."
Kouta swallowed. If this Master Yu couldn't figure out that necklace, no one would be able to.
At the third temple in the area, there was a line of monks outside of the doors meditating.
Hasegawa's wooden shoes clicking on the pavement was heard loud and clear by the monks. They stood and gave him a slight bow in greeting.
"I'm here to see the master." Hasegawa stated.
The monks all looked at each other nervously. They seemed to reach an agreement and open the doors.
The golden double doors to the temple squeaked open. Kouta and Hasegawa walked inside. The doors closed behind them.
Kouta looked around. It was pitch black inside. "Is this it? I can't see a thing."
fwoosh!
Suddenly, small torches that were placed on the walls lit up seemingly by themselves.
There was no one in front of them. Hasegawa let out a suspecting grunt.
"What have you two come here for?"
Kouta whipped around as he looked into the corner to his left.
A man dressed in blue samurai's clothing that was oddly combined with tight white pants and black shoes worn by Shaolin monks and a Komuso Tengai hat covering his head sat calmly in the corner of the room.
"We're here for a man called Master Yu." Kouta told him.
Hasegawa turned his head. "This man is..."
The mysterious man floated to his feet. "Master Yu is not seeing anybody at this moment."
"I have to meet him anyway! It's important!" Kouta exclaimed.
"Oh? And what's so important that you must bother the master?"
Kouta held up his grandfather's necklace. "I need him to find out what this necklace is all about."
A small chuckle came from the man. "Heh. Master has a necklace that looks kinda like that. But frankly I refuse to let an outsider like yourself see him."
Hasegawa turned around. "Stand down Han! I've known Master Yu for years, don't get too full of yourself!"
"You know him?" Kouta asked.
Hasegawa rested his hand on his sword. "His name is Zen Han. He's one of Master Yu's disciples. And a rather talented one at that."
Han showed his hands, which were jet black. Both of his arms were the same. He raised two fingers. "Hah!"
voosh!
A dense purple energy started pouring out of Han.
Kouta readied himself. "What pressure..." he thought.
Hasegawa grabbed his shoulder and stepped in front of him.
"What-"
"Let me handle him." Hasegawa said. "He is more powerful than anyone you've faced."
Kouta's eyes darted back to Han. "He's stronger than Shinya and Ban?!" he thought.
Han's body tensed just the slightest bit. "Mantra."
A high pitched chime sounded throughout the temple.
Kouta felt like he was frozen in time. But it was merely Han's pressure being forced upon him.
All of a sudden Han vanished.
cling!!
Kouta saw Hasegawa and Han engaged in a clashing of their swords. Hasegawa pushed him back.
Kouta was confused. "How fast does he have to be?! Even I can see Taku clearly when he uses Quiver..." he thought to himself.
The entire room was lit up a deep purple from Han's Zen.
Han and Hasegawa were engaged in a swordfight.
Han was moving around the room at speeds that surpassed even sound itself. Still, he couldn't get an edge on Hasegawa, whose reaction time was more than enough.
Then Kouta witnessed something few ever could.
Hasegawa suddenly opened both of his eyes at once, something he rarely ever did. Both of his eyes were glowing completely white.
Hasegawa held both his hilt and his sword in front of him vertically. A space opened up around him that created a hole in Han's spiritual pressure. He only had his sword halfway out.
Time for Hasegawa slowed almost to a complete stop. This technique required him to move at speeds faster than light.
"Eleventh Strike, Spatial Fold: Onikiri."
No one in the room even saw Hasegawa swing once. Kouta could only watch as Hasegawa closed his eyes and slowly returned his sword to its sheath.
click!
FOOM!!
The temple began to shake violently. Han was thrown to the wall and went unconscious.
Kouta couldn't even breathe. All of the air in the room was sucked towards Hasegawa before shooting back out like an air cannon. Kouta was flung to the opposite side of the room.
Hasegawa returned his sword to his side. He looked at Kouta. "Sorry for the sudden violence. It was necessary."
"Was it though?" Kouta said, leaning against the wall. He looked around. "But... how come the temple wasn't destroyed?"
An elderly voice replied. "Because my temple is unbreakable."
Kouta looked over to the far front of the room.
An old man with a long gray beard and long gray hair that was balding at the top stood there with his hands behind his back, wearing all brown. He appeared out of nowhere. "This old fool Hasegawa still doesn't know the meaning of hold-back I see!!"
wham!
He knocked Hasegawa over the head with his fist.
Hasegawa bowed. "I sincerely apologize master."
Kouta was all kinds of confused now. "You're Master Yu?"
Yu looked Kouta up and down. "You're a Murakami aren't ya?"
"How could you tell...?"
Yu flapped a hand. "It's in yer blood boy. I'd be ashamed to live this long and not know a Murakami when I see one!"
Yu turned his head to Han's slumped over body. "And you! Han! Get yer ass up!!"
wham!
Yu kicked Han in the side of his head, slamming him into another wall. "Ow!! What'd I do to deserve that?!"
"You were treating my guests rudely." Yu said stubbornly.
"Wait... you're Hasegawa's master too?!" Kouta asked.
Yu looked at him while nonchalantly picking his ear. "Of course I am. What, you thought this brat got that strong by sittin' under a waterfall for ten years?" He swished some saliva in his mouth and spat into a metal vase sitting in the corner across the room without needing to look.
Kouta eyed Hasegawa. "You told me he was an old friend..."
Hasegawa looked away. "Hm."
Master Yu laughed out loud obnoxiously. "Friend?! Hah! As if! I'd rather roll over in my own grave now than be friends with that old coot!"
Yu looked at Kouta. "Now what did you kids wanna see me for?"
Kouta held up the necklace. "It's for this."
Yu walked over to Kouta and examined the necklace. "Oh yeah... this is Jikai's. That boy carried this around with him everywhere he went." He handed it back to Kouta. "Wash it off with soap and water."
An awkward silence filled the air.
Kouta looked at the necklace, then back at Yu. "That's it...?"
Yu patted Kouta's shoulder. "Yep, that's it."
"I came all this way for nothing..."
"Oh, by the way, who are you in the Murakami family? And what's yer name?"
"My name's Kouta. This necklace was my grandpa's."
Yu's eyebrows raised. "Ahh, so that fool Jikai went an' raised a family I see... Kouta, I should warn you, watch out for a guy named Melqart. He's a tricky little bastard."
That name immediately struck a nerve. "Melqart's at the hideout with the rest of my crew right now..."
Yu sighed. "So he's already shown his face... Melqart's not a bad person. He's just... slippery. He'll take over your crew before you know it."
Yu snapped at Han. "Han!"
Han lifted his head. "Yes master?"
Yu pointed at Kouta. "From now on, you're a part of Kouta's crew."
Han took off his hat and threw it at Yu. "You're kidding me! Why would I work for someone weaker than me?! Stupid old man!!"
Han had long spiky dark red hair and black eyebrows and eyes.
Yu swung the hat back at Han without touching it. "Kouta's gonna need all the help he can get. Besides, you don't do anything around here anyway, ya slacker! And let me find out that you're slacking under Kouta too! I'll skin ya alive!!"
Han grabbed his hat and put it back over his head. "Humph."
Yu looked at Kouta. "Excuse my idiot disciple over there. As stupid as he is, he's reliable. I assume Melqart has come back for the shards?"
Kouta nodded.
"Good. Let him do that. But don't let him get too comfortable. I have another trusty disciple of mine that I'll send your way. Consider it a favor to your gramps."
Han crossed his arms. "I can't believe this..."
Yu walked back to the center of the room. He pointed a finger in Hasegawa's face. "And you!"
Hasegawa snarled. "What?"
"Who're you growling at?!"
Hasegawa straightened up.
"Better. What I wanted to say was... you've been slacking on your training! You've gotten slow! Don't execute my Spatial Fold techniques so sloppily! You're tarnishing my name!"
Hasegawa sighed.
"Now go!! All of you!" Yu spat.
All three of them bowed and then left the temple.
"Scary guy." Kouta said.
"You think? He wasn't even mad." Han replied.
Hasegawa regained his dignity. "If Master was truly angry, none of us would be living right now."
Han nodded in agreement.
"Just how strong is that guy?" Kouta asked.
"Frighteningly so." Hasegawa said.