Tenmaou: The Strongest Martial Artist

-

-

-

"'Dress/ Guise'.

What a nasty technique.

It was the move that the man named Yujiro Hanma otherwise known as 'The Ogre', 'The Strongest Creature On Earth', and just so happened to be my dead-beat pops used on me back when we 'fought' three years ago.

No. That isn't quite right. More like when I tried to fight him.

Apparently, it's done when you spin your opponent by their ankles around like if they're a pair of nunchaku, and then you can either smash them onto things or just toss them away.

I found this out from my Master, a really tall buff guy named Satou Shintarou who I'm learning Martial Arts from.

But hey, I'm not complaining.

Why? 'Cause when I think about it, I realize I'm way better off than many kids that have to continue living in that shitty slum called 'The Inside' with half or less of the talent or potential than I have.

In a way, I think I'm kinda lucky.

That's why in the future, I'll be sure to get rid of that place. I'm sure that I can do it.

Shintarou once told me of an overwhelmingly powerful man that tried to take over The Inside over a few years but still had troubles doing so, so he had trained others to help him out.

And despite his rough drunkard looks, Shintarou seems to be the kind of guy that likes being all subtle and stuff, so I'm guessing that this 'man' also has something to do with him as well if not teach him.

He did say that his martial art was a 'next evolution of a bygone martial art', but who knows? Maybe it's not even that and I'm just grasping for straws.

But anyway, that's fine. After all, I've got a Martial Arts Master now, and sure that I'm gonna be great when I'm done training.

And I'll be sure to return the favor by using that same move on 'The Ogre'.

And I'll be sure to kill that bastard before anyone else does.

That's why to erase that place called 'The Inside', the place where even the strong have issues living in, and to become the strongest; I'll need to take that title from that man.

The title of 'The Strongest Creature On Earth'.

Because if humans can't control that hellhole of a place…

Then maybe 'The Strongest Creature On Earth', something 'Inhuman' will."

-

-Myoujou Kurogami's Journal Entry #06, 2002

-

-

-??? Forest.-

-

To put it in short concise words; It was simply beautiful.

Bright and lush green surroundings filled with wildlife and fauna could be seen lining the landscapes as they all blended into perfect harmony.

Birds were chirping, animals roamed about freely, and insects chittered uninhibited as they worked in a somewhat 'dysfunctional harmony' with this forest.

And as the sun shined its rays illuminating the minuscule dew droplets on the leaves, the flora gave off a healthy sparkle throughout the forest.

However, in the much more shadowy parts of the forest three figures were moving at a speed that well outpaced that of professional athletes in their best conditions dozens of times over.

-FWISH!, FWISH!, FWISH!-

Finally halting, they all stood near a great oak tree with carvings that seemed both fresh and old, greatly telling its own personal history of its own.

Shaking their heads in refusal, one of the figures let out a sigh of relief as they leaned on the oak tree. "Is that so? That's great then."

-And just what were the identities of these fellows wrapped in the shadows?

They were clansmen who belonged to a famous clan well known for their overwhelming power and strength in battle that operated within the underworld.

And though their existence was hidden from those of the common world of man, it was said in the underworld that their existence has helped bring about the change of times in both sides of the world.

"Man what a pain! If that traitor of a whore didn't act out of order we wouldn't have to resort to meeting up in a place like this!" Another clansman grunted in displeasure.

"I agree." A female clansman who stood within the darkness scoffed as they crossed their arms. "Just what were they thinking by allowing that princess to act like she could do whatever she wants? What, do she and her supporters don't care of what the Young Master may think?"

"Hmph." Snorting derisively, the third clansmen within the shadows spoke. "It's only a matter of time till things for them goes south... She and the people that had supported her will all pay, and when that happens, we'll all take over."

"And when that happens, we'll be proven as the strongest clan in Japan--- And soon enough… The world."

This plan would surely work out, and their Young Master would surely grant them even more fame and power.

Thinking the same, they had all agreed as they began to exchange small talk before another figure walks out from the side of the tall oak tree.

"Well, I'm glad that you all think so as well everyone, it's nice that we can agree on something in these troubling times." Turning around quickly, they could see the figure of a young ȧduŀt from where an equally youthful voice had come from.

""" Young Master!"""

Bowing to who they addressed as 'Young Master', the figure had waved them off telling them to stand at ease.

After an exchange of formalities, the figure who seemed to be their leader had decided to finally address the main topic at hand.

"Moving on, I heard that there is a list of the would-be reinforcements in the form of mercenaries invited going around… Does anyone one of you have it?"

"So not only are they colluding with outsiders, but their hiring outside help as well? How pathetic." The female clansman scoffed.

"Ah, I have it right here…" One of the two male clansmen said. "The guys that they hiring aren't too bad, though they're nowhere near our caliber… Shouldn't be too hard to clean 'em all up."

"I see…" Taking the files in his hand before reading through them briefly, the Young Master nodded as he hummed an amused tune."Hmmn? Now let's see just who are they hiring--- 'The Sneaky Butcher', 'Weeping Fist', 'The Billowy Serpent' and…"

Hiding the file away, the eyes of the shadowy figure made an arc as if it were smiling. "Thank you all for the report; I'm sure that the elders will really appreciate this. Remember, whatever happens here must be kept as absolute silence okay?"

Pumping his fist one of the clansmen smirked as his eyes sparkled with a glint of greed. "No problem, Young Master. After we get rid of that bitch and her man, this whole issue will be solved and we can prosper even more in this nation!"

"Haha! You don't seem to have a favorable impression of them now do you?" The Young Master said in a rather 'amicable' tone.

-A rather 'ominously amicable' tone at that.

"Now to start on the second stage of this plan…" The Young Master began to trail off before…

-SCHUUNK!-

He suddenly disappeared, reappearing next to one of the two male clansmen and thrusting his arm like a knife through the man's ċhėst before he could even react.

"!!!"

"You see, as a 'guarantee' words don't mean much in our 'world'…"

"…So I'll need you all to give your lives instead."

-COUGH!, COUGH!-

"W-Wha…" Before he could even register what was happening, the life in his eyes had slowly dimmed, and he slumped onto the muddy ground, unmoving and unresponsive.

And the fate of the other two clansmen wasn't too pretty either.

"Kyaak--!"

"Gwaah---!"

A dull sound resonated within the forest as the Young Master's hands that seem to be as sturdy and dangerous as a real spear had pierced through their ċhėst cavity where their hearts lay one after the other.

-THUD-

The atmosphere grew cold as the chirping of the birds, the movement of the many four-footed animals, and the chittering of insects had all but ceased to make sounds of any sorts.

And what appeared to be a meeting of crafty individuals brewing up a plan, had devolved into sudden bloodshed, with a single man the victor.

-'Wasn't he supposed to be on their side? So why?' They all belatedly asked.

"Why… Young Master… Sen...z…u…i…" The female clansmen had muttered, not knowing exactly why he had attacked them, and before she knew it, her eyes had dulled and the light had escaped as she now laid in the increasing pool of blood, silent and unmoving.

Taking a glance at the three unmoving bodies before him, the man had let out a regrettable sigh as he shook his head.

'Someday I hope you can forgive me, my friend… But in troubling times such as what we are faced with now…'

Wiping off his bloody hands, the Young Master stepped out into the light as he let shone down upon him. He was a fairly tall and slim man with medium black hair that was slicked back and more clothes that seemed to be that of a stereotypical ninja garb.

'Drastic measures should be taken… For the greater good of us all.'

Casting a glance at the vast blue sky, the man's eyes shook slightly though his expression remained unchanged for the most part.

'If anyone should be able to understand that… Then you, whose hands are stained with the blood of many of my fellow clansmen should be able to understand just why…'

And with that, the man had vanished from his spot.

-

-

-

TENMAOU: THE STRONGEST MARTIAL ARTIST. VOLUME TWO: THE CLAN WAR(S)

-

-

-

-In The Year 2002.-

-Oymyakon Settlement Outskirts, Russia.-

-

In the outskirts of a rural town, a child wearing a thick fur coat and hat that seemed no older than nine could be seen running for her life in the harsh Russian winter. Being stalked by several rabid wolves, the child had been running with all the strength she could muster as she headed deeper into the winter plains.

"Wah!" Making a grave error, the child slipped seemingly on thin air, diving headfirst into the snow.

Bruising her knees slightly despite face planting into the snow, the child stumbled trying to get up and continue running as the wolves continued their chase.

-GROWL…, GROWL…-

But as the hungry wolves near their target, ready to devour their prey…

-BOOM!-

-whine…-

"!!!"

A sharp, loud sound burst outwards filling the eardrums of all present deep within the woodlands, followed by a pitiful cry of an unknown creature just ahead.

Frozen into shock, the wolves' eyes bulged widely as they shook in their place before fearfully fleeing, and once again, the boy was finally left alone.

-VRRRRRR…-

-STEP, STEP-

-VRRRRRR…-

"Is that you… Anya?" A youthful voice speaking broken Russian could be heard.

Hearing a voice alongside footsteps behind her, the girl spun around as the darkened silhouette could now be seen much clearer.

The figure was carrying what seemed to be a net filled with fish whilst an ȧduŀt deer was slung over his shoulder.

-And who was this?

Well, it was none other than Myoujou Kurogami, our protagonist of this story.

Walking forward while he hoisted a large deer on his shoulders he made his way towards the little girl who was dusting the snow off of her fur coat.

During these past three years and six months, Myoujou had made incredible progress, and with his growth, he now stood at a height of what would be considered average to tall in his home country of Japan.

However, for now, everything else was obscured by thick snow matting his hair, his eyelashes, and his body, and instead made him look like a furless Yeti instead of a normal human being.

And of that together with those hazel brown eyes of his that shone brightly like gold as he stared ahead intensely at what would soon be preyed upon if they were to continue, it's no wonder he appeared to be much more of a monster than he seemed.

"Oh!" The girl exclaimed in shock. After seeing the familiar face of Myoujou, her shock turned into happiness. "I finally found you, 'Brother Naked'!"

-SLIP!-

Feeling a sharp pang in his ċhėst, it was now his turn to slip on thin air, the threatening atmosphere vanished as Myoujou nearly dropped the massive deer resting on his shoulders.

"Who!? It's Myoujou, 'MYOU-JOU', not 'Uncle-Pervert!" Myoujou said as his eyes twitched furiously. "What's next, you going to tell me that there's a 'Sister Exhibitionist'?"

He was known as 'Brother Naked' to this little girl because the first time the villagers met him, he was training with nothing on except for a pair of undėrwėȧr.

However, the reason as to why he was without clothes was simple.

-It was for training.

Whenever he would train with Shintarou in the mountainous regions of the Oymyakon, he would usually do so with nothing on but a pair of undėrwėȧr. And if he were 'lucky', then he would wear a weight vest alongside it.

Besides for training purposes, it was for tempering his resistance to varying temperatures so that it wouldn't hinder him too much in the harsher climates he might one day visit.

Originally, he hated it.

In the first week, he nearly died as he fell into the winter lake and needed to thaw out.

Let it not be said that Myoujou had no fears. Because as he fell into that river, he could see his life flash by in his eyes repeatedly

And when by a miracle he survived and managed to get out, his Sensei Shintarou told him not to worry about it, by trying to share stories of his adventures in freezing lakes, which only made his concern grow into genuine worry.

But after a few months of uncomfortable endurance training and the likes of it, he had gotten used to the climate.

And in fact, he had gotten so used to it that he even welcomed it!

Slowly and slowly he had started to disdain wearing clothes while training, and even when the weather would reach abysmally low temperatures that even those wrapped up to their utmost in warm fur would have frostbite, he would still insist on wearing nothing but a simple T-shirt and pants.

He had gained a wonderful resistance to their cold, despite how 'unrealistic' his situation had seemed.

And as for how he knew what the word exhibitionist meant…

-Well… Adventures with his master led him into places he never thought existed.

'It's a different world out there I tell 'ya. Are all the 'City Folks' perverted, crazy-in-the-head people?' Myoujou usually wondered as he strutted around in his undėrwėȧr.

'Well, at least it's not 'Little Brother Naked'… If she had said that, then forget about the 'Satsujinken/ Killing Fist', I feel that would be the day I start my path down the road of the 'Gedou/ Demon Fist'.' Myoujou joked to himself.

"Hahaha, no, no, I meant Brother Naked! Not Uncle Pervert or 'Sister Exhi… Something…" The little village girl replied, laughing at Myoujou's expense.

Unfortunately enough though, Myoujou's Russian wasn't anywhere near perfect, being serviceable at best, and because of that out-of-the-world misunderstandings were common between him and the villagers whenever he went about the place by himself.

"I came to pick you up, so why are you out here… Mo… Miyo… Momo… Mojo… Meow-Meow…" The village girl tried to pronounce his name but failing to do so.

Despite the villagers mostly Asiatic features, at the end of the day, they were still natives of the motherland Russia, so he didn't expect her to be able to pronounce his name right of the bat.

"Myoujou, it's Myoujou. And you're here to pick me up? Don't you know how far it is from the village? You're lucky you didn't end up as wolf dinner, little missy." Myoujou said as he rustled the little girl's head.

It was another perk he loved from becoming a bit taller;

-Treating those shorter than him like kids and rustling their heads.

Unfortunately, though, he couldn't treat everyone like kids, especially his Sensei Shintarou, who was standing taller than almost ninety-nine percent of the world's population at two hundred and twenty-five centimeters.

"Nothing much, I was just looking for food--- That's all, yeah..." Myoujou said whilst sheepishly looking to the side.

"…Really?" The village child said as she tilted her head to the side.

"…Yes." Myoujou 'truthfully' said.

While it wasn't exactly a lie, what he said was along the lines of a half-truth.

-And no, he definitely didn't challenge his Sensei for the umpteenth time to a fight with what he learned.

-And he definitely didn't take an ice bath due to getting knocked off a cliff.

-Definitely not.

In total he was carrying mainly three items; the deer slung across his shoulders, a net of frozen fish, and a bag filled with various herbs he could find that grew in these snowy environments.

"Wait a minute." Stopping still for a moment, Myoujou set aside the haul he was carrying as he tended to the minor bruise on her shins that child had before continuing on his way.

Asking for directions back to the settlement village, Myoujou and the little girl trekked throughout the snowy plains before the sight of a village could be seen just a few dozen meters away.

As they reached the village in no time, one could see that very few people were out at this time, partially thanks to the decreasing temperature that reaching a level that even boiling water would turn into snow.

"We're here!" The little girl shouted as some of the village folk turned in their direction.

"Oh, it's little Anya, and Mo-Jo too!"

"That little girl ran out again, huh? I swear that runt, haha!"

"Ho? Looks like you brought a haul this time, my boy!"

Tossing the large ȧduŀt deer and the net of fishes to one of the elders before him, Myoujou slung the bag of herbs over his shoulder and greeted everyone there as he continued to wade through the small crowd of villagers.

They lived within this village settlement nestled deep in within the Oymyakon winter biome of Russia, and despite being born and raised here, with Russian blood flowing through their veins, they possessed features typical of Asians rather than the Caucasian features that many Russians had.

For the most part, they were the nice and friendly type of folk and seeing that Myoujou and Shintarou would help them out on quite a few occasions, they were joyfully accepted as great guests of the village for the few months they lived here for.

"Anya!" A middle-aged woman shouted. "You didn't go running outside in this cold weather again, did you?"

"Eeep---!" Startled by her mother, Anya sheepishly hid behind Myoujou. But because she was wearing a thick fur coat and Myoujou was wearing… Well, his undėrwėȧr, it didn't seem like it would be a good cover from a mother's worries.

And indeed it didn't work as with a speed coming from a 'Non-Combatant' that slightly surprised Myoujou, the middle-aged woman appeared next to Anya and pulled her ears whilst scolding her. "I'm sorry about her; she's just so rambunctious when we have guests since nothing much really happens year-round."

"No, it's fine. She wasn't that much trouble." Chuckling slightly at the naughty child's misfortune as he sent the child a teasing look, Myoujou ȧssured the mother that she was fine and that all she had was a minor bruise which just sent the lady in worry full overdrive.

Taking his cue, Myoujou bid goodbye to the worried mother and her rowdy daughter and headed to the cabin where he stayed whilst thinking about his progress throughout the years.

He could remember it as if it were yesterday, where after spending three more years within 'The Inside' learning under Shintarou they had finally decided to leave, traveling the world as Shintarou went about his hired jobs while Myoujou would somewhat ȧssist him.

-In fact, it had only been around six months since they left. And boy what an eventful six months it was.

They had picked this place since it coincides with both of their plans, this place being where Shintarou wanted to take Myoujou to train and the place whose coordinates were written in the last letter Myoujou's mother had left him before her passing.

And the longer he viewed the outside world for what it was, the more his eyes were opened to how vast the world was; as he couldn't even believe that the earth could even have such cold places like these.

And though not everything was perfect as there were still crimes whether petty or serious, to Myoujou it was leagues above the likes of the slums within 'The Inside'.

Turning a corner Myoujou greeted the other townsmen and children who were wrapped up with warm fur jackets as he finally reached the house he stayed at, but before he could enter he needed to do something…

-VRRRRR…-

Standing still, his muscles began to contract and relax at an increasing rate as the sounds coming from his body started to sound like that of an engine. It was a wonderful manipulation of the muscles within his body that took intense training just to perform at a basic level.

And the results were…

-fsssshh-

The remaining specks started to fall and scatter of his body as now he stood with naught but the hair on his head and his undėrwėȧr.

-CLAP!, CLAP!, CLAP!-

-And everyone clapped.

Well, not everyone. But the few children that were passing by that saw what Myoujou was doing.

To the children, it was an atypical yet amusing method of removing snow from his body and although they had no idea what was even going on, to them it looked cool so it gave Myoujou points in their book.

'This is what a 'High-Class Disciple' is capable of…'

According to Shintarou, his strength used to be classified as a 'Mid-Class Disciple', before he became a 'High-Class Disciple' thanks to his talent, genes, and especially his hard work, and they both knew that in the future he could only get stronger.

'-At the bottom, there's a 'Low-Class Disciple', and at the top, there's a 'Legendary Master', huh?' Myoujou thought as he mulled over the ranks Shintarou had informed him that existed. 'It won't be easy by the slightest, but it's a journey I will take…'

'Besides, I want to know what level that man is…' Myouju frowned as he thought about 'The Ogre'.

"Oh?"

Stepping inside of the house he was staying at, Myoujou walked into the middle of a room that held a large pot over a few blocks of wood under it. It was a big pot capable of cooking a large stew for many to eat.

And for what reason did he need this huge pot?

-Well, it was the last part of his daily routine; A herbal bath.

The lady standing next to the pot asked for the umpteenth time if it was something that he really needed to do, as no matter how many times she saw him do this she could never get used to it.

Chuckling softly Myoujou began to pour the various herbs into the huge pot of water as he lit a fire under it. The village lady supervising him was quite the worry rat, and although it would be annoying to some, he couldn't get mad as she reminded him of his mother, hence one of the reasons it was so easy for him to get along with her.

"Just don't let the other kids see this, okay?" Myoujou gave a toothy grin as he warned the village lady.

Stepping into the pot filled with herbs and water, he soaked his body as he waited for the temperature to increase.

-SIZZLE…-

As minutes pass the water went from a slight sizzle to a full-on boil, and Myoujou started to sweat nonstop as he continued to sit still within the boiling pot of herbal water.

This too was another method of accustoming himself to the harsh temperatures of the world.

And as more time passed, his muscles bulged and contracted as Myoujou submerged even more into the water, with nothing everything from the neck down deep within the water.

After thirty minutes had passed, Myoujou had reached his limits as he leaped out of the boiling pot, steam emanating off of his body as he felt refreshed and better than ever.

'That's a whole ten more minutes than last time. Neat.' Myoujou nodded inwardly.

Hearing the commotion outside as the hearty smell of meat wafted through his window, Myoujou took off his undėrwėȧr as he stood in front of the mirror that the lady had left in the room.

Shaking the water off his body like a dog, Myoujou put on a new pair of undėrwėȧr before giving a smug grin as he admired himself in the mirror.

"Hey, handsome, hehehe~"

In addition to gaining a bit of strength, he had also found a slightly vain side to him that he didn't even know he had.

And if one were to ask him if there was one thing that he liked the most about himself--- Then the answer would definitely be… Himself.

-A vain statement indeed, but an honest one nonetheless.

During the past three years he had grown around thirty-five centimeters taller, now standing one hundred and seventy centimeters tall at five foot seven. And although it wasn't outrageously tall for a male, for a thirteen-year-old with room to grow, it could be said that this was a good development for him.

Myoujou's once raven-black hair with a hint of red had changed to a much darker shade of maroon black. And although it still wavy and messy with his bangs nearly covering his bright hazel eyes, Even if he didn't like the fact that it was starting to appear similar to the mane of 'The Ogre', he still found the time to practice proper grooming and he kept it comfortably cut to a medium length as he found it easier to maintain than having long hair.

His skin had a natural almost bronze tan that adorned his physique, and he possessed a well-trained physique fitted with flexible muscles that radiated a feeling of strength, power, and sturdiness and were all out of the norm for what a young boy would have.

Though with a youthful unblemished face on a stocky build with a wide ċhėst, that had strong shoulders and a thick neck, Myoujou almost looked like a different person from his neck down.

Another area of notice would be the numerous scars that covered all over his body. Some that seemed to be old and, others that were fresh. And while most were obviously made by blades, there were a few marks that were the result of being shot.

But weirdly enough, was that there were no scars anywhere past his torso. It was as if those scars weren't allowed to travel past his neck, almost in fear of desecrating something sacred and holy, as his face that while had somewhat slimmed still contained the light of youthful charm.

But the most surprising area was his hands.

His hands had cracked skin and were lined with scars, with them being both jagged and straight ones that decorated his hands and made one wonder just what the hell he did to have his hands in such condition.

But to Myoujou however, it was just fine.

Par the course if not expected even.

"Oi, Narcissus? You done mȧkɨnġ ŀȯvė to yourself? A flower ain't gonna grow if you cut yourself with that glass y'know." A deep, rough voice joked from the room's entrance and interrupted a very humble Myoujou who seemed as if he were ready to get very intimate and passionate with his reflection in the mirror. (1)

"Not yet, old man." Myoujou said while haughtily rubbing his chin. "Huehuehue---!"

The voice came from Shintarou, his Sensei, who since was too tall for the house's small interior was crouched over on the side of the door's frame and had supposedly gone somewhere before telling him to 'go pick up something to eat while you're at it', after their weekly sparring session. "Yea, the meal's ready, you coming in front?"

They would mostly eat either a stew or a soup with loaves of bread or dry meat as they stayed in this place, and on certain days, they would even get a taste of horse meat as well. To Myoujou however, who lacked a sophisticated enough taste palette, almost every dish that he was served was simply scrumptious.

But as for now, he would have to pass on it, as he had something much more important to do.

"Hmmn, Nah I'll pass. Could you leave some for me?" Myoujou said after much thought, seating himself in front of a desk while flipping through an envelope. "I'd like to stay back and go through this here once again."

Reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair, Shintarou crouched out of the room while waving goodbye. "Alright boyo, smell you later."

"Gaah! Oi, watch it! I just fixed my hair old man!" Myoujou complained which fell on deaf ears as Shintarou kept on rustling his head before leaving.

"Now, let's see what else is in here…" Myoujou muttered.

-

-

-

Once the room went quiet, Myoujou scanned through the envelope and past two journals as his glance happened across a golden locket necklace.

-One belonged to him, and the other his 'late' Mother.

Starting a brand new entry within the journal Shintarou had bought for him, Myoujou had written down all of the events that he felt were important that happened today before closing it

'Sparred with Shintarou, lost. Took a swim down a lake. Saved a kid. Done.'

Moving towards the journal that belonged to his Mother and opening it, he could see a picture of a raven-haired woman who boasted mȧturė beauty with the same hazel brown eyes as him.

'Mother…'

Flipping open the pages of the journal with extreme care and attention, Myoujou turned to the entries that spoke about her experiences and findings within the Oymyakon area in Russia.

She spoke about the frigid weather and the amount of wildlife coupled with secret herbs that she found surprising that they were even able to grow in such turbulent climates.

And within these entries also contain one of the seven area codes that she had written down.

-

-Postal Code: '63°27′39″N, 142°47′09″E'.

-Note One. The Oymyakon, Russia.

-December 15th, 1970

-Misao Kurogami.

-

'Seems that Mom really was quite the adventurous soul, eh?' Myoujou smiled as he closed his mother's journal. 'That's even more impressive seeing that she was so frail-'

His smile faltering a bit, Myoujou quietly scrolled through the pages about the herbs that he had found, their names, what they were used for, and the dosage amount as he ran his hand through his hair, letting out a tired sigh.

'Looks like I'm not over that as yet… huh?' Myoujou thought.

Truthfully though, he wasn't.

Although three years had passed since he was informed of his mother's passing, he still found himself being hung over it.

After all, he accepted that it may be the truth, no, it was the truth, but there's nothing wrong with feeling in the dumps about it, right?

Luckily enough for Myoujou, it never really interfered with his training, lest Shintarou might not have taken him up as a disciple if he was going to self-destruct.

Myoujou knew that Shintarou might be some fun-loving alcoholic of a Sensei, but he was an incredibly strong martial artist that was extremely busy all the while.

And he knew that Shintarou wasn't some kind of a dunce.

'Still, I'm not like how I was all those years ago, with this strength and with my herbal knowledge… I…' Resting his head on his desk, Myoujou rested his eyes for a bit, not realizing that a heavy sleep was about to overtake him.

'Well, that's just one more task on the bulletin board, isn't it?'

And soon enough, he would be heading to dreamland.

-

-

-

-The Next Morning.

-

"Get uuuuuupppp, boyo---!" Shintarou poked the sleeping Myoujou.

Muttering unintelligible gibberish, Myoujou tried to wave him off but to no avail.

"Ah, okay…" Shintarou nodded with an understanding look. "Well then, if that doesn't work… Then how about this!?"

-[TENRAI SHIKYOU RYU/ HEAVENLY FOUR MIRRORS STYLE]-

-[YUKI-

"Ahhh, I'm up---!"

Flexing his muscles, Shintarou was about to throw a punch before Myoujou roared as he rolled off his seat to the side, his posture in a fully defensive position

"Haha… I-I'm awake… And alive." Myoujou laughed nervously as he looked at Shintarou.

The move that Shintarou was going to use was the same one that had done him in yesterday, and he wasn't too willing on experiencing it first hand for a long time, no matter how unthreatening the name might be.

"Well, it's good that you're up boyo, 'cause now we gotta go." Shintarou said whilst waving a white letter.

"A new job?" Myoujou eyes lit up before going somber, as if he was trying to appear wizened and mȧturė. "That's a word I haven't heard in a long time…"

"Hey, hey, hey! Easy there, boyo! The last one was just a month ago, wasn't that long." Shintarou said.

"So, what's it this time?" Myoujou asked as he leaned his head forward to hear more. "Being a bodyguard for a rich fella? A fetch quest? Or even… Ooooh, a call for ȧssassination?"

"No, no, no." Shintarou replied.

"I'm not just gonna do any baby work y'know? I'll have you know, they call me 'The Phantom Titan' in these parts." Shintarou pridefully snorted as he looked at his excited disciple mull over the epithet he was given.

'The Phantom Titan, huh? Well, it's referring to his speed despite his big size then I can see how…' Myoujou wondered. 'I wonder what would be my name when I make it big time out there.'

'Maybe they'll really call me a 'Maou/ Demon King' or something like that… But how do you even get an epithet anyways?'

'Is there a vendor that gives out nicknames like food?' Shaking his head as he refocused on the main topic, Myoujou probed around for more answers.

"If not that, then what? Isn't that all we do anyway?"

"A mercenary hire. For a big fish at that. I'm talking like a big, big clan boyo." Shintarou said which made the boy go silent.

"You mean like that Kure clan or whatever that old man Kiyoshi is a part of?" Myoujou said as he raised his eyebrows. Kiyoshi, that guy that was always in a business suit was someone he would see sporadically and always brag about his kids, moreover, he had weird eyes he would always hide being sunglasses.

"Oooh, close but no cigar! They even have the same letters at the beginning of their names!" Shintarou wagged his fingers. "They're very prominent in the underworld like The Kure of course, but they happen to be even more reclusive and secretive."

"Tell me kiddo" Shintarou said as he showed his pearly whites, with a sharp light of mischievousness filling his eyes.

"Have you ever heard of the Kuremisago Clan?"

-

-

-

Saying goodbye to the Oymyakon villagers would be as short and sweet as it could be since Shintarou looked like he was in a hurry.

Exchanging hugs and cheery, and a somewhat teary goodbye, Myoujou consoled the sad little village children saying that he'll stop by to play again, but for now, he had to go.

And as the villagers waved them off there was a small amount of them that were crying quite and had even made Myoujou wonder if he was that amazing of a person for them to cry so much because he was leaving.

Nevertheless, with a smile, Myoujou walked onward.

"Those two were pretty decent guests; I'd love to have them back."

"It was fun while it lasted indeed."

"It's good they left before the weather changes, those mosquitos are the spawn of Satan I tell ya!"

"Oh boy, don't remind me, that gives me shivers, and it's not because of the cold."

Tugging on her mother's fur coat, the little village girl that Myoujou exited the forest with looked towards her mother. "Mommy, do you think he'll come back?"

"He promised right? I'm sure he will." Rustling her head, her mother simply responded with a smile.

However, the portion of those who were crying weren't crying just because Myoujou departed from their humble abode.

"He… He didn't have any clothes on when he left… Right?" A crying villager asked.

"Yeah." The villager beside him responded.

"What was the bet again?"

"That if that boy left nȧkėd just as he came, we'd have to pay seven-hundred thousand ruble plus a years' worth of food." (2)

"Oh shit." The villager said, practically sobbing by now.

"Yeah." The villager beside him responded, also sobbing.

As it just so happened, word would get out about this bet that some of the villagers had, and soon it would spread like wildfire.

And years from now, thanks to the little village girl that he saved, the children would have a new nursery rhyme, one that was special just to their own village settlement within Oymyakon.

A tale that would surely make Myoujou spit blood at the mention of it decades from now.

-

"From the islands of Japan he came.

And Brother Naked was his name.

Having nothing but his hair and undėrwėȧr

The young man walked about, without a care

-

With maroon hair and hazel eyes that sparkled with pure brightness

He was a sly one that mainly only treated women and children with all of his kindness

-

And whether or not he would wear clothes, the villagers would constantly bet.

However such games in the future would do nothing, but cause the villagers a great debt.

So when tourists would visit and ask, the indebted villagers had wept.

Because nȧkėd was how he came, and nȧkėd was how he left."

-

-"The Tale Of 'Brother Naked' From Far Away." An Oymyakon Legend. The Year 2002.

-

-

-

"Achoo---!" Myoujou sneezed.

"It's cold, huh?" Shintarou asked. "I gotta say boyo, you had a rough start, but you did real well to stay in the cold, but are ya' finally ready to put on some clothes now?"

Digging into the bag on his back, Myoujou gave a confused look as he wiped his nose. "Yeah, I think I will, but that's not why I sneezed."

"I think someone was thinking about me…"

"And I'm wondering if it's something nice…"

-

-

-

END