"Can you please tell us precisely what occurred, sir? she said. The policewoman held a pen and a little record book. She scribbled in little words. 'earthquake.'
The road was barred by cone pins, a firetruck parked nearby, and several teenagers chattered about a blast and how cool it was.
"Officer, I am speechless… I do not know what to say. One moment, I was dozing in my bed. The next minute I woke up, there is a giant horizontal hole in my wall. I tell you the tectonic plates are moving very weirdly these days."
The cop stared at Yuri and jotted more words in the notebook. He extended his head a little to see what she wrote.
"Alright sir, you can go now. But we will ask you again to get your full account," the cop said.
Yuri walked away and had missed calls from his Uncle Akira. He texted him, "I am okay, Uncle. It was an earthquake."
He stared at his apartment on the third floor of the building. Instead of demise, he felt embarrassed. "Shit! People can see all the Lewd Anime posters on my wall, and my little shrine for TWICE, BLACKPINK, and mama Lisa. And those horrid bedsheets, why didn't I get my laundry done."
He smacked his face in disgrace. And thought, "Where am I going to sleep?" With nowhere else to go, he dwelled on his options. "I could buy a new apartment. I mean… I have a billion dollars… and why not a condominium." His face illuminated with a big smile and said, "How about a mansion? And a Mercedes Bens." He couldn't deny himself a little material pleasure.
It being virtually impossible, to buy a mansion overnight, he called Botan. "Hey man, good news… I can visit you right now… bad news… I'd have to stay there for a while."
He took a taxi to the Dojo where Botan was staying. The Dojo belonged to a Mixed Martial Arts Organization that was famous all over Japan. Botan underwent rigorous weight loss training there so he could start competing professionally.
Yuri arrived at the Dojo.
"Bro, what happened? There was news of an explosion, wasn't that your flat?" Botan said.
"Ah… yes, that… it was an earthquake. Nothing major."
Botan showed him around the Dojo. The Dojo had a high canopy and different types of training areas. A CrossFit training area, a weight-lifting gym, a boxing ring, and open wide space for classes.
"How'd you find this place, Bo?" he asked.
Well, an MMA coach had scouted me back in high school. He told me I had a future in professional MMA and would train me… let me stay here after I left the orphanage."
"Twelve years already, huh, since we first met, Bo. Remember when you got mad at me for not passing the ball?" Both of them had their hands on their waists and laughed at the memories in the orphanage.
After a moment of silence, Yuri's expression turned serious. "Can I trust you, brother?" he asked.
Botan looked into his eyes and his silence told him everything.
"I've found a power, Bo. And together, we can use it to do some actual good in this world. Not like those sleazy politicians or those tax-exempted philanthropist rich people. If you help me, we can create a world where the weak do not need to be avenged," Yuri said. He lowered his right knee to the hardwood flooring of the Dojo.
"Forge Lesser Magitek Brass Knuckles with E-class Dexterity and Finesse."
Light mana particles gathered into the system's fusion reactor and solidified into Lesser Magitek Brass Knuckles, and Botan couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Yuri picked it up and wore it.
[Status Update]
[Dexterity: F -> E ]
[Finesse: F -> E ]
Yuri felt the speed surge and his nerves burst with immense energy. He jumped and moved like a fly around the dojo, bouncing from wall to wall at immense speed. It was like a fight scene in a Naruto episode. Yuri appeared and disappeared like a shadow.
Botan stood back and fell to his knees. He rubbed his eyes, and could not believe what he was seeing.
"Stop! You'll destroy the place," he shouted then smiled.
Yuri jumped back right in front of him. Both of them looked at each other with smug and confident looks.
"Want me to pass the ball, bro?" Yuri said.
"What do you mean?" Botan asked excitedly.
"I can give you the power to move as fast as I just did... or even faster."
"Show me."
Yuri handed the Magitek Brass Knuckles to Botan. He tried it out and did exactly what Yuri had done but was a little slower because of his body mass.
"I thought you said, you didn't want to destroy the place?" They laughed.
"This... Yuri. This is going to change the world."
"No, brother. We are going to change the world. This power... it's only the beginning. Are you with me?"
He bobbed his head in approval. Both of them went on the night and concocted a plan.
The next morning, Akira went to visit Yuri in the Dojo. "Are you alright, son?"
"I'm okay, uncle. Just a little sad that I couldn't save some of the posters on the blown-up wall."
Akira believed that Yuri was targetted by the syndicate that managed the tax-evasion and money-laundering schemes in his case.
"Just stay here for now. Just keep a low profile."
"What happened with your case, uncle. And the 'Casanova Corporation?" Yuri asked.
"Oh them. They are done. Completely done for. The evidence had irrefutable photos, video evidence, records, and contracts, it was unbelievable. It was as if the criminals handed themselves over to the law. That 'Overlord' guy must be pretty darn smart." Akira said.
"That's good. I'm glad I could help..."
"What did you say?" Akira turned to Yuri.
"Oh, I meant, I'm glad that... I could... help with the Dojo here. Hehe... I help clean and all." Yuri sighed inside.
Akira said, "Uhuh? So... Yuri, my boy, when are you going to buy that car and mansion?"
Yuri jumped up and said, "Next week, uncle! I can't wait to... umm... to..."
Akira smirked and put his right arm around Yuri then rubbed his hair like a bowling ball.
"I knew from the start. I may be a lawyer, but I'm not that dense."
"So are you going to scold me?" Yuri did not want his Uncle to be mad at him and he did not want his system to come to public light.
"Honestly, son. I don't know how you did it. But I'm also your lawyer, and you're my client. We have that confidentiality clause built in our relationship already. You're a grown man. Do what you think is right. I'll be there for you, always there to defend you, even when you stole 100 billion dollars and donated it all to charity. I can't say I'm not proud." Akira said. He wiped a tear from his eye with his index finger.
"Right? hehe about that... I still have the 10 billion USD left somewhere."
Akira jerked and pressed his finger to his eye, making it a little soar because of his surprise.
"What? Where... No, don't tell me. We'll talk about this again. You're in big trouble, young man. You're lucky I'm running late." Akira said.
"Uncle, after you're done with work, I have a list of errands for you to do. Can you help me?" Yuri said. He was confident his Uncle would say yes and help him. Akira needed to go back to the courthouse to finalize the libel case against his client as it was dismissed by the judge due to the overwhelming evidence.
Just as he was about to leave. Akira's phone rang.
Ring*
He answered it. "This is Akira Abe. How can I help you?"
After talking on the phone, he ran back inside to tell Yuri the news. The perpetrators of Gaia's case were identified.
"Son, a lead from the cops just came in..." Akira said. Yuri and Botan were talking.
"What is it, Uncle?"
"The cops have found a new lead on the suspects. There are 9 of them known members of the Valhalla gang. A warrant of arrest has already been issued... The cops will find them soon."
Botan was also listening and said, "The Valhalla gang, aren't they a part of the Yakuza. They've been recruiting younger kids lately since the Government's Yakuza crackdown."
They both turned their faces to Yuri. He didn't say a word. His head was lowered and he said nothing.
Although blocked from their vision, Yuri's eyes were burning again. More furious and bloodthirsty than before. He was keeping it all inside him, saving his rage for the right time.
Yuri had made Botan and Akira aware of part of his new power but not all of it. Botan only knew about the Magitek weaponry. And he needed someone by his side that he could trust, strong enough to be relied upon in emergency situations. Since Yuri is still limited to one body. Yuri also needed Akira to know about the money and him hacking the evidence because Akira was his lawyer, but he had no idea about Yuri's actual power or any aspect of the system. It was necessary to reveal this information to them, and worth the risk.
In Yuri's thoughts of revenge. The system generated a new quest.
[New System Quest: Form an army of warriors]