Chapter 20: 13TH FIGHT; QUO VADIS? PERSONA NON GRATA.

13th FIGHT: QUO VADIS? PERSONA NON GRATA.

-XOXOXOX-

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-XOXOXOX-

"Not trying to brag or anything, but I'm sorta something like a master chef.

You see, it's like a feeling that I've had… A burning, shining sensation... It was something that just made me into a genius of the culinary world I guess.

I mean for crying out loud, when I made Shintarou my specialty dish, 'Thousand Heavens Nature Ramen'; a delectable meal made from the animals and green of the earth, he was so amazed that he even shed tears! Talking about 'Never thought he'd even see the pearly gates of heaven instead of hell, much less meet his grandma there' or something like that.

Heh, I didn't even know he had a grandma!

Not gonna lie, it did put a smile on my face knowing that my cooking did that. Now that I remember, even Mother and the maids couldn't help tearing up once I get to cooking… Whenever they would eat 'normal' food they would then start to weep silently, wetting themselves with their own tears.

-Obviously, they were sad that the meals couldn't compare to mine, I bet. In fact, they'd even start crying if I even said the word 'Cooking'!

Though Shintarou was talking about taking me to some 5-star restaurant once we were done with one of his jobs…

-I gotta wonder, what for though? Not to be arrogant or anything, but I'm pretty sure that I can blow their skills out of the water… So what for?

Once again, not that I wanna brag or anything, but I'm pretty sure that I can be perfect at absolutely anything I train at it in time, even cooking."

-Myoujou Kurogami's Self Titled Journal Entry; "GOD TONGUE; The God Of Cooking" (Excerpt).

-XOXOXOX-

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-?, A CERTAIN HOUSEHOLD-

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-XOXOXOX-

Within an eastern dojo sprawling with a rustic simplicity situated in the town of Tokyo, Japan, a spectacular aura spilled forth endlessly, seeping through the very greenery itself, moving as if they were trying to escape from the dojo.

And from the middle of the green field, one could see where the aura from before was spilling out.

It was a tall imposing figure, easily around two meters with long blonde hair and a blonde beard with a well-sculpted face quite suited for a fearsome warrior.

-And who was this man?

This man was none other than Furinji Hayato 'The Legendary Master', the man known as "The Invincible Superman", hailing from the Furinji Clan, and the name of this dojo he owned was 'Ryozanpaku'.

Befitting of his title, Furinji Hayato was an old figure within the Martial Arts Community, an undefeated force of nature that participated in many fights and battles of a bygone era where he reigned supreme, soundly defeating even those who wielded the modern marvels of man such as tanks, guns, and weapons as they had no effectiveness against the likes of him.

But most importantly, this man was an advocate of the 'Katsujinken/ Life Saving Fist' way of life. He was one of the many that believed life itself was sacred and that one man can not take another's life, hence he never fought to kill, but to always end fights with those involved alive, eternally seeking to preserve the lives of all.

And though many, many people may disagree with his way of living, he still managed to remain steadfast in his belief as he stands undefeated in the Martial Arts World.

After all, if you're that strong and still alive, then you can't be completely wrong, right?

Though, unlike the fearsome aura the muscular blonde gave off, his facial expressions remained impassive and calm as he continued to meditate.

"Haaaaahhh..."

"!"

Opening his eyes, the blue crystalline orbs shone with a fierce aura as personified hot winds flew out rustling the areas and surroundings before finally cooling down, returning to the meek, cool temperatures it once was before.

Even if one were to be afflicted with blindness, they would still be able to tell that this man was a Master at Martial Arts

-No. Most definitely even beyond that.

-Caw!, Caw!-

A carrier pigeon landed on the outstretched hands of the man as he calmly rustles the feathers of the bird before untying the letter attached to its back.

"Well, well, little birdie... Would you like a treat?" The muscular boulder of a man asked, placing the letter at the side as he reached into the pockets of his robe, unrolling several candies and lollies from their wrappers before chomping down on them happily.

-tweet.-

The bird left.

'Haaa... Guess that's a no then... Well, maybe he's not fond of sweets.' Shaking his head, the man unfurled the letter he received.

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-'To Furinji Hayato, from Furinji Shizuka'

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'Oh, Shizuha? This time it's from the wife of my idiot son.' Hayato said, chuckling as he opened the letter.

It was always good to hear about his son, daughter-in-law, and his grandchild since they lived quite a distance from him in Tokyo, and he would commonly read letters sent by them. In a way, these weekly and monthly updates he made them be sure to send were his revenge against his son for deciding to live somewhere far away from him where he couldn't see his precious granddaughter twenty-four-seven.

-"Hmph! Because of you, I haven't been able to see my precious granddaughter because she lives so far away!" Would be a common complaint coming from Furinji Hayato.

Fortunately, due to him being Japanese himself, this 'grudge' if you could call it that wouldn't cause him to yell something along the lines of; 'I won't forgive the Japanese!", like a certain bizarre fedora-wearing old man that lost one of his hand in a 'car' accident with a camera smashing hobby.

"He- Hooh..."

Though on the other hand, after reading through the letter his good mood would simmer down rapidly, like a pot of hot water left out in the cold outdoors, quickly subsiding as it got cooler, and cooler after reading through the letter.'

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'-As much as I would like to say that everything amongst us has been sailing smoothly at the Kuremisago, unfortunately, I cannot say so if I were to remain completely honest.

As you may have heard, friction between the clan has sent them splintering off into two different forces against each other in a battle of ideals, traditions, and principles... And as the climate steadily grew tenser, so will the anger and negative emotions of our clansmen.

It may be naive, but I pray that we could all get along once more, and that the slowly dwindling numbers of the Kuremisago would stop, and its manors and rooms would be filled once more just like the older days that have passed.'

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The letter from his daughter-in-law spoke intensely about the trepid state of affairs of the Kurmeisago Clan, the constant wars, infighting, and the general down mood there. She also spoke of the dwindling numbers of their own clan but that wasn't what garnered his attention

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'-It has truly been rough for Saiga, having to deal with all of this, though he remains strong for Miu, Senzui, I, and everyone that depend and fight alongside him...

I only hope that the weight on his back eases up, and everything turns out alright in the end...'

-'Sincerely, Furinji Shizuha.'

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The following paragraphs spoke in great detail about his son, Furinji Saiga. His son's struggles on the path of life, and his life with his new family.

Getting quieter than it already could be, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, Furinji Hayato cast a steely expression, placing the letter aside with a heavy hand befitting a heavy heart.

'This…. This doesn't sound like good news whatsoever…'

The sorrowful yet hopeful feelings that emanated from the handwritten letter were enough to tell Furinji Hayato's guts and instincts what was wrong, and whenever he listened to them, they never let him down.

Something amiss seemed to be brewing at the Kuremisago, and he didn't like the implications whatsoever.

"Hmmn... Something urgent such as this..." Furinji Hayato stood up abruptly, staring at the sky as he made up his mind.

"I should go and check it out myself."

And with that, the Old Master Furinji Hayato leaped up, and made haste as he left his dojo.

He had a destination in mind, and if his instincts were right...

Something truly vile and sinister was afoot.

-XOXOXOX-

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-? LOCATION-

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-XOXOXOX-

'So it is that time again… The frosty period of the winter season…'

Little by little, the miniature crystallized flakes of ice slowly began to fill the sky, moistening the ground as it fell forming little patches of pure white around the empty forest lands, and in the center of it all, was one lone man casting his gaze upwards to the heavens.

It was none other than the young master and future head of the Kuremisago Clan, a man who was said to be 'talent incarnate' who very few could ever hope to equal in the coming years.

-Kuremisago Senzui.

With his medium black hair slicked back, and calm black eyes, he painted a serene picture of calmness and neutrality, however, his true intentions were anything but neutral.

There were many things that he wanted and expected in this life.

Some he was able to obtain, and others had unfortunately slipped from his grasp.

He had loved a woman before, but it wasn't in fate's decree for them to be together.

He had felt great warmth from his family, but in the end, even his own father had been slain by his hands at the height of his clan's feuds.

And he had wanted his clans to be fruitful, multiply, and rise even higher within the world, but the feuds resulting in blood spilled between his clan members had lessened the members of his clan, slowly changing the once-bustling Kuremisago Clan into a ghost town.

But most of all… There was something that he really desired…

-And that was 'change'.

Why was this?

For a long time, the Kuremisago had been entangled in a perpetual battle amongst themselves, from those who held the doctrine of pursuing the height of 'Martial Arts' by killing and slaughtering without emotions, and those who found such lengths to be unnecessary, hoping not to have to kill anymore even if a middle ground couldn't be found.

-'With the birth of a new generation, so will new schools of thought be born.' -Some would say.

But what they did agree on, was that they couldn't get along, nor could they ever realize their ideals without fighting each other

-And so they fought one another.

-And then when things seemed peaceful, they fought again.

-And then they fought, over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.

-And then they even fought some more after that!

-Just how many times did they fight one another, you ask?

-Too damned much.

The declining population of their clan held no weight in some of their minds if it meant that the opposing side would continue their contrary way of thought, and so they continued to fight even more.

Senzui however wanted to change this way of life, and in fact, it was his penultimate goal leading to the finale of his lifelong plans.

-Friends?

-Comrades?

-Family?

To Senzui, who used to be a man that cherished such notions, they now became mere pawns of a game of chess, pieces of varying value that were simply needed to push this game forward into its next stage.

-And the mercenaries?

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

They were nothing more than glorified paparazzi, entities that he planned on disposing of personally when he was finished with his current situation just so that their disappearances alongside the massacre of his own clansfolk would spark a whole new tale of infamy within the Martial World.

He wanted people to know, he wanted people to snoop around, and he wanted people to find out.

This incident he manufactured at the height of his clan's civil unrest was crafted for his clansmen's safety, even though it would lead to many to their demise.

Though, among the drivel of fodder and trash alike, there was all but one exception.

-The man named Satou Shintarou, whose epithet was known as the 'Phantom Titan'

Appearing nearly a decade or two ago from the obscure depths of The Inside, the 'Phantom Titan' was a giant of a man and as elusive as one can be, known to disappear like a ghost when he felt like it.

In a way, it was almost a work of art how one that possessed such a nonchalant, 'devil-may-care' attitude and a robust frame as he did manage to reduce his presence to almost nothing at all in the blink of an eye.

Seeing his worth, Senzui wanted to recruit this Shintarou into his personal group he had been busy creating for years on end.

-A group that after his goals in this place were accomplished would help catapult not only him, but eventually the entirety of Japan into a new era, or so he believed.

-YAMI.

And to make such a dream into reality, he planned on recruiting many, many martial artists from across the globe at all costs.

And so, he sent out many invitation letters.

-To the fierce yet devoted 10th Dan Karate Grandmaster and head of the Shinshinkai Karate School; 'The Tiger Slayer' Doppo Orochi.

-To the many deadly members of a powerful notorious clan of assassins known throughout the criminal underworld as The Taboo Descendants known as 'The Kure Clan'.

And to a renowned assassin within the criminal underworld, boasting a near-perfect success rate with his deadly techniques, 'The Devil Lance' Kuroki Gensai.

In fact, he even sent out an invitation to a man shrouded in infamy named Silkwat Jenezad, 'The Hero of Tidet' that was also known as the famed 'Kenmashajin/ Demon God Fist'. He was known to be frighteningly adept at nearly every form of 'Silat', daring to call the version he devoutly practiced as 'Supreme Silat', and was rumored to be at least on a level higher than what any master could ever hope to achieve.

-Truly, such a man was beginning to be revered as a 'God', if not a 'Demon' of Martial Arts, an unkillable existence soon etched into the annals of history in the 'Underground World'.

Well, though he has yet to receive a response as expected, Senzui didn't fret about that matter.

'Maybe I should invite 'The Ogre' into my little group?' Senzui wondered, chuckling softly as he pictured the odds of such a man agreeing. 'Though, with a willful guy like him… I bet it might be quite hectic, I presume...'

The Ogre, Hanma Yujiro was known to be quite the 'pot-stirrer' if anyone unfortunate enough to be in his presence were to agree. Known as either a heroic god in some countries or a dastardly devil in others, he was a man that possessed overwhelming strength to not only go against almost all of the greatest fighters in this world, but to contest them on all fronts; skill, technique, and power, if not defeat them completely.

Though, in all honesty, he was quite sure that 'The Ogre' would certainly reject his invitation.

But things like that didn't matter to Senzui. After all, the strong had a right whether to or not to consent, and the weak had no choice but to consent.

'That is the way of the world.' Senzui believed.

Thinking of such topics, Senzui let out a soft exhale as he closed his eyes. And while he stood still letting the snowflakes settle on his personage, his mind eventually drifted from The Ogre towards a certain disciple of interest within the Kuremisago Mountains, the disciple in question being none other than Kurogami Myoujou.

'That boy… Though young, the talent within him is undeniable -The choice of bringing him alongside you and training him in the fiery depths of life rather than a peaceful climate certainly was the correct one.'

Senzui felt that the boy not only held a familiar countenance to said Ogre, but also the last name seemed to ring a few bells, calling back to a resemblance of someone that currently escaped his mind… But most of all, he had that hunger in his eyes. And he recognized those kinds of eyes...

Embedded deep within the amber-brown crystal orbs of his, that thirst and hunger for power swirled ominously within that boy.

It was hidden deep within the boy's subconscious, like a brief flash of light in the night-clad darkness, and no matter how cool, non-caring, and nonchalant the boy would try and play it off, an experienced master like himself would always be able to spot it. No matter how well-hidden it may be.

'Such passion... I'm almost jealous that the Titan found him first, but no worries.'

After all, how could Senzui not recognize it? It was the same flame he possessed that greedily sought strength at all costs, and seeing it in the young boy intrigued him.

'Hmmn. 'Man', or 'Monster'...' He opened his eyes to look at the darkening skies. ' -'Deva', 'Asura', or 'Bodhisattva'...'

'How curious…' A small smile briefly flashed on Senzui's lips.

'I wonder which path you will take...?'

'Kurogami Myoujou.'

-FWOOOSH!-

Just as Senzui turned to face his current guests, his attendants shawled in robes darker than the stygian night sky appeared in gusts like the wind with speeds well surpassing the likes of even the best of Olympic athletes many times over.

-It was the time to enact another arc of this play of his.

Bowing respectfully, the attendant at the frontmost proffered a scroll which Senzui gleefully unrolled.

"Well, well, well… This is good news… Wonderful even." Senzui smiled wholeheartedly, shining with the beaming countenance of one that didn't have anything to do with the blood war that was currently on its way. "It seems like the 'Bewitching Fist' of the Kushinada Clan has accepted my proposal to join forces alongside me…"

"!"

The attendants hearing this shook slightly in surprise before reigning their shock in completely.

Their young master was quite the ambitious one, wasn't he?

And for there to actually be other Martial Artists interested in the dream he shared?

They could only sweat as they thought about what chaos such a line-up would unleash onto the world in the coming years.

"Now it's time to wrap things up… You all know what must be done, don't you all?" Senzui gave brief orders to his attendants as they dispersed in gusts of wind, just as swift as they had arrived as he held out his palm to catch the falling snowflakes.

"And as for the rest of these folk…" Stifling a yawn as he thought about the remaining Kuremisago clansmen and mercenaries busy fighting, Senzui coldly decided their fates. "Well, their corpses will merely be the Grand Guignol, the bloody yet glorious start of a martial revolution…"

"In a few days, the underworld will be the first to know..."

"---Know the surprise of the fall of our fellow clansmen and guests, and the greatness of the rise of our new organization, Yami..."

Senzui smiled as he watched the snowflakes melt in his hand, seeping through his fingers as they dropped to the ground. "Because soon enough, the land of the rising sun will reign supreme, and with me at its helm at that… After all, there's no better way of promoting peace than showing the results of violence, now is there?"

"However." Senzui halted as he gazed askance at the heavens, his countenance briefly falling somewhat. " -Do forgive me for what I am about to do, Saiga, Shizuha…"

"But it is for the best… As regrettable as it sounds...'

'For not only us... But the future of Japan itself."

-XOXOXOX-

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-A CERTAIN RUINED KUREMISAGO CLAN MANOR.-

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-XOXOXOX-

"Filthy panty-sniffers."

As Myoujou suppressed a scowl as he surveyed his surroundings; the decayed remains of bodies, burnt wood, a ruined manor, and fellas whose eyes were bloody red and ready to kill- There was one thing he was sure of...

-And that was that this place reeked of the smell of 'Death'.

And just what was this smell of 'Death' like anyways?

Honestly, it was more than just the smell of mere unmoving corpses... It was a scent that permeated the atmosphere... The people, the vibe, and the mood itself that created that aroma- That same scent that Myoujou's nostrils were currently being besieged by right now.

'Haa- Just what the heck did we get into this time?'

In Myoujou's case, it wasn't as if he held any reservations about this job to begin with, as he was actually somewhat excited to finally go out for once after all of his training at the height of the Russian wintery season in Oymyakon, but this…

'Looks like the winter is catching up to us... I almost didn't realize that..' Myoujou looked around at the little droplets of snow falling.

This was just beyond belief.

No, not the reality of people being incensed to send him to the bowels of Naraka… That was well within the realms of belief, in fact, it happened nearly every day when he used to live within The Inside, but the fact that these guys before him seemed to have foregone logic and intelligence itself, not bothering to listen to their explanation, with only interested in killing him and Shintarou on their mind.

'So Shintarou got hired for this job along with some fodder, the fodder got… Well, 'fodderized', and now it's just me and the old man against these folks…'

'Yeah, and also some guy named Saiga got blamed for killing a few oldies from this clan….' Myoujou thought as he began to mumble to himself like a loony, not caring about the people around him.

'Did I forget anything?'

Thinking back on some of the grim experiences that befell his former team, Myoujou snapped his fingers as a metaphorical light bulb seemed to have appeared on top of his head. 'Oh, yea… Some weirdo showed up dressed like Saiga and vanished after straight-up killing everyone in this place, and now they think that we were with him…'

'Yeah, none of this makes any heckin' sense. As per usual, I smell foul play.' Myoujou shrugged half-heartedly. A nice and soft bed was starting to look more appealing than having to look at the likes of ninety-nine percent of buff men with the occasional but equally deadly woman from the Kuremisago Clan. 'These guys… They're actually hostile because they think we killed their men…?'

'Wow… Uh, nah. It can't be. I'm not the shining example of a high IQ and an unrivaled genius, but even I can catch that there's a lotta bullshit going on behind closed doors.'

"Looks like we got played a bad hand of cards, Shintarou..." Myoujou said. He wanted to keep up his cool quiet guy persona he spent a few years trying to craft, planning on staying silent whilst looking at the best in bad situations like a glass-half-full kind of fashion, but boy, did he find this setup slightly funny. "This is a big misunderstanding that's gonna cost a lot of people their lives…"

-Though unfortunately, it wasn't the 'good' kind of funny.

"Haaaaah… Boy, oh boy." Shintarou sighed. "If the full payment wasn't worth more than a couple million in euros, then I would've never come around here, haha! But hey, when we're done with this right here, I think I feel like taking a nice long bath."

"Same here." Myoujou said.

"Alrighty then." Stretching his robust musculature as he warmed up, Shintarou got into a battle-ready position, lowering his center of gravity as he awaited the furious mob. "Get ready kid, these folks ain't just wanna spar, they're outright aiming to kill."

"Yeah, I can tell. I haven't seen people with hard sticks in their hands so 'happy' to see me since the old days..." An exasperated sigh left Myoujou's mouth, but even though he said such things, truthfully he had no issues since he was looking forward to showing off what he learned on 'live' targets.

Seeing this, Shintarou's lips turned upwards slightly "Well, well, well... Would you just take a look at these guys?"

"They're making the same fact you like to make so much. So calm, yet so brooding, like a losing game of poker, hahaha!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, geezer." Myoujou's body tensed with a surge of excitement and power.

"Let's waste these clowns and get outta here in one piece!

"That's the spirit!… And while we're at it…"

"You won't be going anywhere!" A clansman shouted.

"Die, scum!"

"Make sure they regret messing with the name of the Kuremisago!"

Looking at the faces of the men that reeked of bloodlust before him, Shintarou merely smirked.

" -I should probably get the rest of my pay as well."

And as the enraged crowd pounced at the Disciple-Master pair, they too, moved in retaliation.

-XOXOXOX-

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13TH FIGHT: QUO VADIS? PERSONA NON GRATA. END

ALTERNATE TITLE: 13TH FIGHT: WHERE ARE YOU GOING? YOU ARE NOT WELCOME. END

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-XOXOXOX-