Chapter 19: 12.5TH CHAPTER; ADVENT OF A BLOODY STORM (2)

12.5th FIGHT: ADVENT OF A BLOODY STORM(2).

(sorry for the chapter mix-up, should be fixed by now)

-XOXOXOX-

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-XOXOXOX-

-One Week Later-

-A Certain Japanese Forest.-

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-XOXOXOX-

'But is that really how it will be…' Myoujou mused whilst looking back on the events that transpired the week prior.

'The timing on the mercenary's hiring and the sudden deaths of whom were speculated to be three clansmen that were 'Masters' at Martial Arts….'

Now evening, the group found a relatively peaceful enclosure to which they set up for the night before tending to the injured.

'Plus, I've heard that Saiga managed to kill many Kuremisago clansmen during their skirmishes, which 'would' make him a prime target after all.'

'Though I have to agree with the lady on this one… The timing was too impeccable.' Myoujou raked his brains over this topic. It was something he always fell victim to doing ever since he was young; not seeing the forest for the trees, and in order words, overthinking everything to its minute details.

He understood that not everything in one's life can be perfectly controlled, but being in the dark about something potentially life-threatening only served to irk him beyond belief. 'And not many are gonna be fact-checking every single detail in a place as reclusive and isolated like this…'

'But enough pondering, I gotta get ready for our next excursion tomorrow.' Following the group he was with, Myoujou eventually settled down with a tent of his own and turned in for the night, but not before his usual routine of noting down a new entry within his journal.

And as he lay within his tent, he slept with one eye closed and the other one eye open; just the way he was used to years ago. Doing so like a stray animal might be uncomfortable for most, but to someone like Myoujou, it was only natural.

Hours passed by as he drifted off into slumber and soon enough the sun rose as it shone its light over the land, alerting the group that it was time to return to their base.

-This time it was one of the many areas that Senzui and his faction made into their base of operations in their battle against the mainland Kuremisago.

Although they used a different pathway in order not to give away any potential information to those who may be following them, Myoujou and the others saw the same plains and green scenery time and time again on their way back, they came across another group of mainland Kuremisago clansmen who seemed just as eager to fight.

"Huh! It's these liberationist bastards!" A rival mainland clansman yelled, veins threatening to burst from his head as he was covered with blood.

The group of nearly a dozen and a half that stood before them seemed Incensed. But even that sounded too tame to fully describe the sheer wrath and anger that emanated from their very being.

"They've even got outsiders with them, they've really fallen low!"

"Those bastards! They've even sided with that monster Saiga! Quickly take them down!"

Seeing the enraged clansmen in bloody, tattered clothes the group was on their guard as they readied themselves for what would be another routine confrontation

The Team Leader furrowed his eyebrows as he yelled. "You! Why were you all returning from that direction!?" Seeing what appears to be their enemy returning from the very area their base was situated was enough to raise a few red flags in everyone's mind including his, and fearing the worst the Team Leader began questioning his fellow clansmen as he went on guard. 'And why are you all injured!? Speak up!"

"Like hell, I'd tell you, damned traitor-!" Though unfortunately, this was the best response that he would ever get.

"After we get rid of you lot, well kill that bastard Saiga as well-!"

"These guys…. They've lost it…" A mercenary frowned as he stared at the rival clansmen glaring at them with blood-red eyes.

"Oh, Great Buddha and his sandals..." Myoujou muttered exasperatedly. 'Are 'all' of you stuck-up clansmen fucked in the head or what?'

To an outsider watching this, it would most definitely seem as if sitting down and talking it out wasn't a fond pastime of the Kuremisago Clan, which would probably explain why things like this play out the way they do.

However, there was something else that was also amiss.

Taking a good look in the general direction of their base they could see pillars of smoke that rose into the air, spreading its suffocating atmosphere as it made its presence known to the two sides currently about to be engaged in conflict.

Now most people in the Martial Arts world weren't notably academic geniuses and the likes of it, but they immediately recognized the source of the smoke that was present within the air.

-It was a fire. A brutal, vicious one. And something is surely burning down.

"Wait… The direction that they're coming from… And that smoke… Isn't this near our base?" Myoujou towards the front as he asked the Team Leader. "And these guys… Granted this is a different group, But even the ones we fought before didn't seem so deranged and pissed off…"

'But these guys saw something… If so, then what the hell happened back there…' Myoujou wondered as he tore his gaze from the Team Leader towards the direction of both the mainland group and the smoke within the air.

"Everyone-!" The Team Leader shouted as he seemingly realized the same. "After we deal with them, regroup at the base-!"

"Roger-!"

And thus another battle over the fate of the future of the Kuremisago went underway.

-XOXOXOX-

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-FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER-

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-XOXOXOX-

-cough, cough-

Amidst the smoke and dust, Myoujou stood still as he gazed at his surroundings. "Is… Is that it?" Some bodies laid still, unmoving as the others that were alive retreated or were on their last legs.

Though he was used to this scenario due to living in The Inside, he still found it off. These people, they were fighting for a reason, no matter how silly it may seem to others.

Right?

Myoujou snarled as he took a good look at his surroundings. "Damn, even more of us are gone…" He muttered. The casualties had been even higher in this battle with even more of their comrades ending up critically injured or even dying.

Realizing that they couldn't win, the remains of the enemy group not even reaching more than three men showered them with curses and profanities as they made a hasty retreat.

"How's the number looking like now?" The Team Leader asked, to no one in particular.

"We have about a dozen of us left, sir. The casualties… have increased even more…"

"Tch…" Signaling what was left of his group, the Team Leader didn't spare a single glance to the deceased as he marched in the direction of their base. "We're low on time! Don't bother burying them and let's move out! The base isn't too far ahead!"

Wasting no time on burying the deceased, the group ran towards the base which was an hour away and although they were slightly exhausted due to the strenuous fighting they partook in, they still trod on as if it was of no concern.

Myoujou gave a short prayer as he did per usual for those who lost their lives in these altercations before joining the group as they headed back, but as they neared their destination, a strange scent nearly invaded Myoujou's nostrils in all its foul ungodliness.

It was the strong scent of copper and metal wafting in the air as Myoujou could see a line of death that followed it.

"!"

'This smell-!' Myoujou's face warped into a grimace as he suddenly halted, bumping into a nearby mercenary. 'This is bad… Did those guys really…?'

"Huh, what's wrong? Did you get scared?" Taking a glance at the frozen Myoujou, a mercenary quipped in an attempt at easing the rather dreary mood amongst them. "Not that there's anything against it, I mean you are a kid after all…"

This scent was a familiar one alright, and it was a scent that was usually brought up as a result of violence, and even though they had just finished getting involved in violence, the scent back then couldn't even compare to what he smelled at this moment.

It was an odious stench that he had grown all too familiar with, even before he took his first steps on the path he walked on today, and no matter how masked it was, or how different the situation was, he'd always be able to tell exactly what was it with pinpoint accuracy.

-This scent was none other than the scent of blood.

-Fresh. Blood.

"Blood."

"It's blood. Fresh blood at that. Can't you all smell that?" Displeased at the unfortunate implications of what the scent of blood would likely mean, Myoujou shot the mercenary an exasperated look. "Who knows if everyone in there is still alive?"

"Smell what? None of us smell, you know… Oh… Oh shit…"

"What, It can't be-!?" Realizing what Myoujou was trying to say, the Team Leader gnashed his teeth as he roared. "Quickly, get to the base-!"

-It seemed as of today, a tragedy would simply be unavoidable.

In time they had eventually reached the base. Though unfortunately, there wasn't any positive reception waiting for them as they expected.

"What the… What the hell even happened here?" A clansman muttered.

The base they once stayed at now lay in ruins, with shattered wood and unmoving bodies lying about within the dying fire that had already climbed throughout the building. Sizzling as the fire stayed put, it appeared as if the fire was finally satisfied after devouring portions of the manor within its hungry flames.

'It's like a storm went through here…' Myoujou stood still as he stared at the fiery blazes, his mind going a million miles a second as he tried to decide his next course of action from here. 'Shintarou and the rest haven't reached around here yet… And I can't smell nor sense the presence of those inside at all... So what happened?'

'No. I know what happened- A bloody massacre happened, that's what.'

Walking throughout the manor that now rested in disarray, they witnessed many things, the hinges of the doors were pulled off, walls were torn down and sizeable crater-like holes were common on the ground really unnerved them to no end.

No, that wasn't quite right, now was it?

What had unnerved them wasn't the result of violence but the needless brutality of it.

The Kuremisago clan was a clan that prided itself on having no attachments when it came to performing their jobs and the mercenaries had seen some stuff growing up but still-

What kind of grudge did the perpetrator have to do this?

"H-How could they do this-!"

"Those bastards! They've completely blindsided us!"

Shouts of the clansmen rang out as they tried to get a better grasp on what they were seeing as the mercenaries quietly looked around.

'A hole through the chest, crushed skulls, and broken limbs… What strength….' Surveying his immediate area Myoujou frowned, not liking the familiar sights he was currently seeing.

How strong was the perpetrator to pierce through someone's chest?

It took intense training and great muscle control to even begin to think of trying to pull it off, but this went straight through as if there wasn't any resistance in the first place!

'Damn, this is really something else, eh? What, was the anatomy of a trained martial artist no different than butter to this guy?' Inspecting the now deceased that lay in front of him, Myoujou felt strange, staring through the fist-sized holes perfectly punctured throughout the bodies. 'I've seen some crazy shit, but this is something else…'

'Many can do it but to this level… Which means, that this clearly the work of a 'Master'…'

"Search the perimeters now! Look for any survivors you can find!" The Team leader yelled. "Get the flare, light it up and send a message to Master Senzui and the other groups!"

"In fifteen minutes we'll regroup together in this exact place and rejoin the other groups, get it?"

After lighting a flare and calling for reinforcements, Myoujou and the others went forth with renewed caution as they inspected the compound looking for any survivors in this unfortunate event. It would take about half an hour for reinforcements to arrive, and hopefully, they would arrive in time in case of any other potential events or threats.

-creak…., creak…., creak…-

Unfortunately, though they searched each and every room, meeting area, and even obscure places thought to be hidden away within the manor, the search would prove unsuccessful as the more they reached into the other rooms, the more deceased people they met.

-A total 'Clean House', as some would say. It was a term that was only brought about by the complete annihilation of all the lives that lived within the manor; the guards, the maids, and everyone else alike.

However, if that wasn't morbid enough their very own group, too, would meet similar tragedies.

After a brief fifteen minutes passed, they returned to the outside of the manor in which they had originally arrived to discuss their findings.

-Casualties within the manor were at an all-time high, as there were no survivors.

And as clamors increased in volume as the clansmen discussed potentially moving to another base of operations, they came across a 'familiar' blond man wearing a striped suit that emerged from within the wreckage.

"!"

"Hold up…"

"Isn't that…"

Completely smearing the gauntlets he wore, blood dripped down the man's figure as he continued walking. And as the man slowly turned to face the group, he gave off an ominous presence even with the dull expression that was plastered onto his face.

'You gotta be kidding me… So it 'was' true after all?' Raising his eyebrows, Myoujou and the rest went on guard as they saw the bloodied man that looked all too familiar to most.

This man, who stood in the midst of corpses that lay around… Was this man truly Furinji Saiga?

If so….

-Then why?

"I-Is that… Saiga-?"

"It can't be-!? Why would he do this-?"

'Was he in fact, the reason why they were already injured?' Myoujou wondered. 'And if so, then did he also kill those people from earlier?'

It didn't take a genius to guess what was on the mind of the bloodied blonde, and he was sure that the others next to him knew that as well.

Mutters were heard as mercenaries and clansmen alike were trying to decipher just why he was there.

But eventually, in due time… they understood the message.

Saiga had killed these guys, and the other Kuremisago clansmen were running from them.

-And they were next.

And as expected, the bloodied man's next choice of action was-

"!"

"Shit! He's coming straight at us!" A mercenary cursed as he saw the bloody Saiga suddenly vanish from his sight.

"Don't falter! Surround him and fight him off!" Trying to keep order, the Team Leader sternly reminded his men. "Don't freak out! It's just one of him versus at least a dozen of us!" In this instance, it was imperative to maintain calmness and stop him as their lives would be in danger.

"He can't possibly defea-" The team leader even couldn't finish his words as soon enough; a vicious blow was lodged through his chest with frightening speed and accuracy.

'It couldn't be… right?' Myoujou frowned as he surveyed the situation before him. He knew damn well that he did not see a man that appeared to be somewhat stronger than the average around these areas be picked off like fodder for a Saturday Morning Tokusatsu show. 'These guys aren't your standard martial artist by any stretch of the imagination…'

'So why are they getting picked off by this man so easily?'

It all unnerved Myoujou, not only as to how easily the men before him had their lives snuffed out, but to how different this 'Saiga' in front of him was as he fought; being truly precise and vicious.

It was as if whenever the man sent out a blow he carried a wave of death alongside it, willing those struck by it to fall with each strike.

And seeing the man turn in his direction specifically, Myoujou knew what he had to do.

"Haaaa-!" Wasting no time, Myoujou flung his leg upwards with incredible force and spring that was generated from his ankle, knee, and then back.

-And its direction?

-The face of Saiga.

Seeing this Saiga crossed his arms to block it, however, this was exactly what Myoujou wanted.

Using his leg as a way of 'checking' the distance between the two, Myoujou used his opponent's crossed arms as a means of propulsion as he kicked off, leaping backwards as he created more distance between them.

And as the two stood motionless in the wreckage of the clan manor staring at each other, Graupel, or soft hail particles of snow began to fall, seating themselves throughout the mountain range they were currently situated at.

-flicker, flicker-

The last embers of the fire finally died out as darkness started to slowly overtake the two figures, slightly obscuring the vision of the two in the manor.

'You've got to be kidding me…' Myoujou inwardly frowned. 'He actually killed them all.'

It was a thorough job all right, but Myoujou found another thing odd with its execution.

'You've been deliberately avoiding landing killing blows aren't you?' Lowering his position a bit, Myoujou continued to stare at the silent man. 'You haven't tried to pierce my chest with that blow of yours yet, now have you…?'

'You're waiting for something…. You want to see more…. And after that… You want to counter my attack…'

It was merely a brief exchange, yet Myoujou was able to see that far into his opponent's mindset. To do so Myoujou had used everything that he was given, the man's strength, agility, fighting style, and most specifically what observable habits he saw.

It was an application of Precognition, and though he was nowhere near to being a master at it, it was a talent that Myoujou was becoming increasingly talented at.

'But I won't be swept up by your flow, so you can try all you want…' Myoujou went through his battle plan before dashing at Saiga, letting out a series of blows with nearly unpredictable trajectories. "So… What's your end goal-?" He shouted, prying for more information.

To say that Myoujou was curious about the motives behind the civil unrest within the Kuremisago Clan would be a gross understatement, as when it pertained to the likes of hidden secrets and historical clans, he would more often than not find it very difficult to not be nosey and would greedily devour any details and information that came his way. In fact, he could remember it being the same as the other clan that carried a similar name to the Kuremisago.

'In fact, the clan that Shintarou said that he got a friend that hails from a clan kinda similar to this... What was itname, Kure?'

He had heard from word of mouth that when Saiga first came to this place he wasn't too liked by the clansmen who would often start fights with him, so Myoujou could see why there'd be 'bad blood', plus when it came to Kuremisago casualties; Saiga had a pretty sizeable body count as well…

-But to do it so openly? Now, this was something else.

"So, is that Senzui guy also behind this-?" Myoujou prodded for more info. 'Or, like what Shintarou said… You're actually a phony that was sent to cause some clan drama…'

'Because now that I get a peek of your face, you look less and less than that Saiga guy…'

But no matter what he said, 'Saiga' before him stayed silent.

Unpeturbed, Myoujou continued. "I don't know much about you, and you're virtually a stranger to me, so this doesn't really affect me- But a good chunk of those guys seemed to really look up to you," Myoujou planned a move to catch the blonde man off guard.

But all of a sudden...

"!"

'He- He moved!'

Blocking a strike aimed at his throat, Myoujou was pushed back a few inches as steam emanated from the now bruised forearm that had taken all of the strike's impact.

'Holly hell. If I took that full-on... My throat would be crushed...'

"Ha...haha... Not the talking type, I see… But what I'm curious about is… For what reason? Judging by what I heard you were like, it doesn't seem like the kinda thing you'd do…"

"…"

You are reading story Tenmaou: Strongest Martial Artist at novel35.com

-'Not the kinda thing you'd do?' It was a shameful bluff, especially coming by a kid that didn't even know the man personally, but it was a bluff that Myoujou had no issues using as it fit the situation quite well.

But once more, Myoujou received no response. Instead, the blonde just stared at him in silence.

It was not much of a response at all… But Myoujou once more got the point.

However, time for talking has ceased once more and he dashed at Myoujou with increased speed.

Barely dodging swift yet heavy blows while enduring the occasional cuts, Myoujou felt blood trickle down the small cuts and scrapes on his face gained from dodging the attacks aimed at his head and face as he was being pushed back bit by bit- his mouth sucking in the cool winter air as he noticed a rather bitter fact about this little 'confrontation' he was currently involved in.

-Everyone else but Myoujou in his group had bitten the dust leaving him alone as he faced this man.

-And if this kept up, he would be swept away by the man's momentum.

Tensing the muscles in his legs, he launched himself towards 'Saiga' aiming for an attack, but as he neared him, he suddenly tensed his arm muscles, being pushed back slightly after guarding against a tackle as the blonde had dashed forward into his guard before trying to pierce Myoujou's chest.

Narrowly escaping with a mere cut that tore through his red jacket and black shirt, blood slowly trickled down from the small wound on his chest. 'This guy… He wanted to counter the move I was going to use…'

He couldn't think for long as 'Saiga' launched towards him with another spear hand ready that nearly skewered him, and while he dodged it, the blow tore his clothes even more.

'Whew… I almost got skewered once more, but that's fine…' Myoujou realized that the man before him either was a master at prediction or he heard of the move he used against the guard and had now planned to use at this moment. However, now that he knew that his opponent was aware of one of his techniques, he planned to play right into his hands.

'Because as crazy as it sounds….' Myoujou readied himself as he tensed his muscles. '-Now that I know that you're after that move that I'll use…'

'-I'll counter your attempts to counter my counter-!'

As they both ran at each other Myoujou went through the motions 'SNAKE-BIND', the same move he used against the guard when he first arrived at the manor, and 'Saiga', who seemed to know of this technique prepared to combat it; however, Myoujou had a different idea in mind.

The technique he truly planned to use was specifically centered around movement and positioning, giving the user incredible speed and agility along with swift and precise attacks.

'It's clear to me that you're not going all out; otherwise, this would've played out differently… But I won't be insulted…'

'Gotcha-!' Myoujou smirked inwardly as 'Saiga' repeated his previous actions by dashing into his guard before thrusting forth with a spear hand. 'I'll use your kindness well for my sake.'

'After all, all you're doing now is giving me a chance to live to see tomorrow.'

-[WATER MIRROR : OVERFLOW]-

Reaching for the spear hand the Saiga used, Myoujou clasped onto his forearm, waiting until he exerted his utmost before altering the trajectory of their opponent's attack by redirecting his flow of power.

And with that, 'Saiga' was sent flying upside down.

"!"

-THUD!-

"Gryaaaah-!"

Not waiting until the blonde regained his balance, Myoujou delivered a vicious swift kick aimed at the man's head, though it was blocked by the blonde's arms in the nick of time.

'Huh? Did I just see it move? I think I did…' Myoujou thought. The man's hair and face moved unnaturally before settling down once more. 'Was that, a wig… And a mask?

'This guy… wearing a mask and wig like that- He's not really Saiga, is he…'

Though, it looks like the man had realized that Myoujou had seen it, as he seemed more incensed to finally finish him off. 'But enough of that, this guy is still getting up… And here he comes-!'

"!"

But as the man once more sprinted towards Myoujou, he felt that something was off.

The stride the man took… It wasn't a stride filled with purpose as the one before it. It was an odd stride for someone that had a bit too much on their mind to deal with at the same time. 'Now he's planning something else, I just know it.' Myoujou thought as he studied his opponent's actions before him.

'In that case, the reinforcements should be arriving soon, so I can't let you go-' Now going on the offensive he wanted to perform a feint before attempting to strike him down, but before he could do that…

'Huh?'

Dodging Myoujou's checking strike as Myoujou stepped forward, 'Saiga' made space, retreating backwards instead of attacking him, striking down on the wooden floor beneath them on the very same spot he previously stood at.

-SHATTER!-

'Huh? Am I…. Falling?' Myoujou thought, feeling the absence of weight beneath his feet.

'You can't be serious.'

"Nnnggh-!" Falling through the floorboards down to the area that would be considered the cellar, if not the basement, Myoujou maneuvered and nimbly landed on his feet as if he were a cat, before looking around cautiously.

However as he gazed upwards, the man he was fighting was nowhere to be found.

And all that was left was the ruins and Myoujou all by himself.

"Huh… He's gone…?" Myoujou craned his neck looking around. "Shit. He really got away."

'But man...' Myoujou thought as he gripped his shaking hands. 'That guy was something else... Even when I pulled off that counter it didn't seem to even faze him one bit...'

He didn't believe he could fully defeat a 'Master' in a frontal fight just yet, that belief now being evident as he realized his foe was going easy on him, only trying to see what he would do, but he did believe that he could at least hold him off until reinforcements arrived. So he raked his head for proper analysis and tips on what he could use to potentially improve his performance in the future.

Funnily enough, it was one of his shortcomings that he gained in his quest to eliminate all of his shortcomings that not only irritated him but also a free spirit type guy like his master Shintarou.

Fighting was something that was methodical but needed a lot of instinct too. Hence the reason why the first year was spent on Myoujou learning how to fight without thinking too much

In a way, his problem was akin to a smart student not getting full marks, not because they lacked the intelligence, but because they thought too much about everything but the basics.

Myoujou winced as he looked at the damage around him. 'Man, even more things were destroyed in this fight…'

'They won't deduct this from Shintarou's pay, now will they?' Myoujou sighed after chuckling at his attempt at a joke. 'The world might end if he isn't able to drink cheap beer, you know...'

-creak…, creak…, creak…-

The floors creaked under the weight of Myoujou as he looked around the rut he fell into. 'Damnit, never mind that! I should at least look for survivors while I'm at it.'

Deciding to once more perform a search around the premises, Myoujou started with a search down within the very same cellars he fell in. "Hello! Is anyone even alive here?"

"Hello-?"

After a not-so-long search, he eventually came across a bloodied woman with a gash in her chest that was buried underneath a pile of people.

"Urggghh…"

"Young Master Senzui… Saiga-dono…" she muttered coughing up bursts of blood.

'Ah, no wonder they didn't see her when they checked! Her breathing and everything… It's so faint…' Myoujou questioned the woman as he tried to treat her.

"You… You're the maid, right? What the hell happened here? Are there any more survivors?"

"I…" she tried to mutter but was losing consciousness.

"Hey! Keep it together lady," Myoujou said, trying to get info "-Just hold on, keep your eyes opened, I'll do my best to help you-"

"…"

Rumbling through the small pouch he kept in his person he tried to help the survivor by patching up her wounds.

"…"

Trying to staunch the bleeding proved futile as blood was pouring throughout the heart as it was severally damaged, and the woman looked as if she was already beyond the point of no return.

"…"

In the end, despite his best intentions and improved abilities and knowledge, the severity of the damage and situation had prevailed as Myoujou realized that he couldn't do much except close her eyes and give a small prayer.

"…"

Looking at the woman he couldn't help but frown. He thought that they wouldn't kill their own so what the hell was this? He knew that this was one of the cruel truths of the world and that it wouldn't be the last time atrocities like this would happen again, but it didn't make it any more appealing.

"…"

'Shit.' Myoujou let out a curse as he drove his fist into one of the walls around him, splintering it into pieces. 'Calm down, Myoujou. This is the real underworld, and there's nothing you can do about as you are now.'

'Breathe in, breathe out, and focus on what to do next.'

Myuojou exhaled a large sigh.

'Everyone except me is dead and this place is destroyed. Simple.'

'They're really is foul play going on here… 'Saiga', or what looks to be someone disguised as Saiga has attacked us… His wife and child are nowhere to be found in this manor…'

'Or…' A dark thought surfaced in his mind.

Walking out of the compound he came across Shintarou with dirty apparel that was stained with both blood and dirt (which was a familiar sight to Myoujou by the way), who was about to enter the ruined manor.

"Oi Myoujou!" Shintarou asked looking at the minor wounds Myoujou had racked up. "You look like shit! Which is also a familiar sight… But still! You alright kid?"

'Thanks for your concern, old man…" Myoujou soothed his forehead to ease the tick mark that was rising. "Things went south… What looks to be someone disguised as 'Saiga' just came in. and things ended up looking like this…"

"Saiga? You mean he came here?" Shintarou frowned. "That can't be the case, I was just with the blondie a while ago-"

"Wait…" Shintarou suddenly stopped himself before allowing himself a while to think. "You said, 'what looks to be'?"

"I see… So it's like that now…" He mumbled.

"Yeah, and the rest of my group got wiped out by this same person." Myoujou continued. "Hey Shintarou, don't you think that it's kinda funny? I mean why would they even try to do any of this? It's like both sides are trying to force each other to self-destruct!"

Shintarou nodded. 'If news of this were to get out it would make for quite the story. I'd fail to see Saiga getting out of this unscathed...

'Wait!' Shintarou's expression darkened briefly before smiling wryly.

In the time he went off with Saiga and some of the mercenaries that seemed to have bad blood with him, a total catastrophe had occurred with his disciple caught up right in the middle of it.

"So what now? Mind enlightening your disciple in these hard times, Sensei" Myoujou asked.

Looking at Myoujou he spoke. "I see… So not only did the Senzui, the Kuremisago Princess, and her child have gone missing, but also Saiga disappeared somewhere as well…"

"Huh? You mean…" Myoujou trailed off. "They're all gone…?"

'No way…' He thought whilst staring at the bodies within the manor. 'Did they all vanish? Or are they all in it?'

'Did the lady and her kid...'

He stopped his thoughts before they went bad. He didn't know the woman but he could tell she was strong, so he doubted that the perpetrator could've easily killed her off with his spear hand, even if he was disguised as her husband.

-Though the possibility of it happening really irked him to no end.

It wasn't the act of killing itself, as he grew accustomed to such climates in his adventures into the outside world…

But it was the thought of even thinking of targeting a woman and her child.

It was a soft spot of his that he didn't like being poked whatsoever, and although it wasn't any of his business, the implications present within the air were something that he did indeed find frown-worthy. And though he was able to control himself from acting impulsively even when he came across situations similar to it time and time again, he still would never be able to get used to it.

In essence, he disliked it before, during, and after he came across such scenarios.

Thoughts resurfaced as one of the main reasons he not only wanted to gain strength but also gain medical knowledge of herbs and their effects.

-All to heal and save a certain someone.

"I don't like this, Shintarou…" Myoujou said as his brows knitted in displeasure before regaining their usual calmness. "I'm not liking the sound of this one bit."

"Yeah Myoujou, I know." Shintarou sighed as he took a look at Myoujou as he scratched his head, knowing somewhat on why his disciple's mood had briefly darkened somewhat. "It looks like things are just getting even more complicated then."

"So… I guess it's time to bow out, huh…" Myoujou quietly asked as they began to exit the ruined premises.

"Most likely, since this job turned out to be a bust." Shintarou said.

"Makes sense." As upsetting as this was, it wasn't anything too surprising at all. "I mean, these guys aren't the friendliest of folks out here… Plus their family drama won't bring anything good if we continue to get involved."

"Though there's still one minor issue before we leave though…" Shintarou pointed at a group of clan members entering the compounds in a hurry. "You see, there are these guys that are out there…"

"They should be in here!"

"Quickly get in there and kill those outsiders along with those traitors!"

"Leave none of them alive!"

Shouts from angry clan members that were out for blood entered the ears of the duo.

"- And they don't seem to be so keen on letting us out either."

"There they are!"

The two had tried to explain their situation to the group, but their claims were met with deaf ears and eager hands that also held onto weapons.

"Quickly get rid of them and move on! The sooner we find that bastard Saiga the better!"

"These guys, they really aren't listening, aren't they? It's like it goes in one ear and comes out the next…. Hey, Shintarou. If we knock some sense into them, do you think to come back to bite us in the ass?" Myoujou spat. "Or do we have to send them to King Yama?"

"'Cause this right here… It's gonna make big news in the Underworld, now won't it?"

"Yep." Shintarou muttered. "Y'know kiddo, it's said that the Kuremisago clan doesn't really go with outsiders, but when they make big moves, everyone on the outside knows, but something like this… I'm sure that the world would know about it…

A group of 'mercs' got brutally wiped out on an excursion by 'Golden Boy' Saiga?

Big news that is.

"You Kuremisago clan fellas are horrible hosts, you know that?" Myoujou sighed as he alternated between looking at the sky, his teacher Shintarou, the furious clansmen, and then the sky once more. "Poor reception and service, and the workers are even trying to fight the guests…"

"Shintarou." Myoujou looked back to the sky. "Do you believe in 'Karma', or 'Luck?"

Shintarou took an incredulous look at his pupil. "Hahaha! What are you even asking at this point in time? Don't you see what's happening?" He couldn't believe his ears. "Besides, look on the bright side! You and yours truly, your cherished Master right next to you get to go 'Tag-Team' battle with some idiots! Ain't you aware of how wonderful this is, kiddo?"

"Back to back, and shoulder to shoulder boyo-!"

"I'm well aware actually…" Myoujou said as he cracked his knuckles, gazing at the clansmen surrounding him. Even at this moment, he didn't forget to retort to his teacher's senseless humor, even as all he had on his mind was a foreboding feeling that this incident would follow him for quite some time. "That not only are we currently knee-deep in some serious shit..."

"-But that instead of getting out after this, we'll be even deeper in it for a long time afterwards…" Myoujou spat, humoring Shintarou with the same brand of humor that he seemed so fond of. "In fact, we'll be stuck so deep in it, that even after months worth of showers you can still smell the stench..."

"I'm betting a Hundred Million Yen…" Shintarou chuckled grimly. "I'm betting that this really is gonna be a pain in the ass for us in the future."

"Trouble or not though, I plan to do great things in the future, so I can't die here, old man… And neither should you." Standing next to Shintarou, Myoujou assumed a fighting position as he prepared himself to fight along with his Teacher.

"And also, while I try to be a calm, collected cool guy, don't expect me to be nice to you all." Myoujou snarled as he looked at the encirclement of irate clansmen. "Especially since you're all out for blood!"

Shintarou was with him, yes. But he wasn't the type to coddle him whatsoever; meaning that he expected Myoujou to hold his own, and that was fine with him.

He studied the crowd of a dozen or so people, barehanded whilst others wielding weapons readied themselves to attack the duo of Master and Disciple, going over many methods of fighting within his mind.

-Positions.

-Movement.

-Weapons.

-Breathing.

-Body Type.

All of these were recorded within his head. And so he formulated a method of battle.

"So let me say this, fellas…" Myoujou muttered at the attacking group as they leapt at the two, ready to enact their personal 'justice' and 'vengeance'.

"-There's nothing more I hate in this world than losing."

-XOXOXOX-

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12.5th Fight: ADVENT OF A BLOODY STORM(2) END

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-XOXOXOX-

12.5th Chapter Out!

As Always, Thanks For The Support~

Constructive Criticism And Feedback Is Always Welcomed.

And So, The Plot Thickens Even More!

Apparently, The Kuremisago Clan Has Some Real Vicious Snakes In Their Lawn.

Finally, A Master-Disciple Team Up Coming, The Fruits Of Myoujou's Labor(Martial Arts), Shall Be Unveiled!

I Wonder If I Did A Good Job In Laying Down Hints On What The Style Myoujou Uses Was Created/ Inspired From In-Universe.

Now That I Think Of It, The Whole Plot Of The Kuremisago Clan Is Really Reminiscent Of The Drama And Fights Of Early Japan When They Were A Closed Nation And Didn't Want To Mingle With The 'Foreigners'.

Say Tuned~

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