#shen wulong x reader

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Being in a relationship with Shen Wulong...

Long, long ago, in the most secluded mountains of China, there was a wise hermit, a sage, of whom only stories were heard, yet none had seen him. At the base of the mountain, there was a single village, and in it, a rather peculiar woman, an outcast, a slave, abandoned by not only her parents, but humanity also, to fend for herself. A woman with the most cursed hair colour, the colour of blood. It was the old belief that all humans have black hair and black eyes - So a child, a woman no less, with crimson hair and eyes coloured in hues of grey, green and blue. Her mother died giving birth to a demon child, and though her father hadn't the power to kill her, he abandoned her for the more merciful to take care of. In spite of all this, she was considered the village's misfortune, and was forced to do the worst tasks, all to prove her worth to the people and the Gods - Though they all knew, she was going to be forever stuck with bad karma, reborn as a woman in an endless Samsara, never allowed to achieve Nirvana.

One day, on a particularly freezing Early Spring, she found a man sitting by the fire of a bubbling cauldron. He seemed calm and didn't radiate any kind of hostility, so she dared approached. She was starving-skinny, unwashed and dirty, with ragged and roughly patched up clothes, while he looked regal, pristine, glowing, as if he was a God. Y/N almost didn't dare approach, but her stomach was growling with hunger, and she needed to eat.

Y/N kept her head down in humility and knelt in front of the man. "Good Lord, forgive my lowly self disturbing Your Highness. I am starving, and if My Lord would allow me, I could prepare something modest to quench our bellies." her forehead was pressed to the ground, waiting for permission to raise and either cook or get away. "There is no need for such formalities, friend. You may raise. I am a hermit, not royalty, and status does not define us." Y/N gasped in shock, her eyes wide as the men got on the ground also, holding her dirty hands with unexpected gentleness, helping her up. "Though you do look like a princess." Y/N felt frozen in time at the words spoken by this stranger, who took out a handkerchief and cleaned the dirt off her face. "You look work-hardened, yet even your hands are delicate." "I... I do not know what to say, Sir." she looked down, unable to keep looking in his gorgeous, tender eyes.

The man smiled, and without another word, he brought over two bowl and poured the porridge for the both of them to eat. Seeing how she was starving, he poured her seconds also, feeling his heart warm up, watching the woman being happy.

"What brings you in such a secluded place of the mountains? It is dangerous for anyone, especially a weaponless woman, to come this way. There are plenty of wild animals and thieves around." the man asked, watching as Y/N kept herself warm by the fire. "The village chief said he won't let me return without the Flower of Immortality. He said I might find it at the peak of the highest mountain." she explained, shuddering from the cold breeze. "There is no such thing as a Flower of Immortality." the man's voice turned a little dry. "What have you done to garner the hatred of the village?" Y/N smiled, sad, resting her chin on her knees. "Yes, I imagined there wasn't - But I had no other alternative, did I?" she chuckled emptily. "Ever since I was born, I was misfortunate. I killed by mother at birth, by father abandoned me... And the monks cursed me. They said I will continue being reborn as a demon woman, fated to an endless cycle of death at a young age, and rebirth in this monstrous husk of a body, unable to reach spiritual rest." her beautiful eyes shifted up, into his own. "All because I have red hair." The stranger looked at her and scoffed. "How shallow. They can't see the beauty of a soul because of their superstitions." his comment surprised her, though she didn't dare say another word. "Be that as it may, you are the single person who holds no hostility against me, and for that, I am grateful - However, on the morrow, I shall be departing. I could not possibly disturb you any further than I already have." Y/N spoke in a soft voice.

"And where will you go? In search of a plant that doesn't exist?" he rose a quizzical eyebrow. "What else is there to do? I have nowhere to go." she replied bluntly. "Stay here." Y/N's eyes widened in shock. "You go up, you die. You return, you die. Either way, you are going to prove them that their stupid curse actually took place, and you died young." "I-I couldn't... I don't-... I..." Y/N was unable to find any coherent words to say anything whatsoever in regards to his more than gracious proposal. "The law of nature claims a man is most fulfilled with a woman by his side to take care of him. If you feel as if you are disturbing a hermit in his seclusion, then I am sure, you will find some way to make it up to me, despite not needing to." he huffed in amusement, only to see the beauty kowtow deeply to the ground once again. "Stop that. You don't bow to me. Get up." he brought her up a second time. "My hut is closeby. Come on over."

True to his words, the man took care of Y/N, bringing her a new set of clothes and providing her with shelter and food. To compensate him for his troubles, Y/N started seaming clothes, cooking and looking for medicinal plants and herbs for tea and treatments. The hut was small and there wasn't much tidying up to do, but she tried to make herself useful in any way possible.

The middle of the Spring came by soon, and with it, the bloom of the flowers. On one particular day when Shen was away on one of his trips, he returned home, only to see a vase full of the prettiest pink peonies on the table. He smiled, watching Y/N embroider idly a coat for him, and he took a peony, placing it in her hair. "Do you know what these flowers mean, Y/N?" Y/N looked up with the innocent eyes of a doe, and she answered negatively. "I just thought they were pretty and smelled nicely." "They are the flowers of princesses." Shen smiled, watching the bashful expression on her face. "They represent the pure beauty and femininity of a kind and loving maiden. I would say that fits you well." Y/N blushed deeply, as pink as the flower in her hair, and attempted to look down - But the hermit kept her chin raised up, reveling in her innocent brilliance, the Queen of the Flowers she was.

Though the most beautiful maidens always had a tragic end, and after two years blissfully spent together, Y/N became ill of an unknown disease that couldn't be treated in any way known by mankind at that time. She was weak and pale, vomiting blood, barely able to breathe. Shen Wulong wasn't a man attached to earthly things, but his heart ached, watching his beautiful flower wither away in his arms, watching her fade away into the accursed nothingness that she was promised with.

"Be not afraid, my love. No matter how many lifetimes you go through, I will find you. If you remember me, I will rejoice, and if you don't, I will help you remember. I will not let you be alone again, nor will I allow them to ostracize you unfairly. I will save you, and give you the long, fulfilling life you have always wished for. My beautiful flower. My beautiful Y/N. I love you."

---

Though he made such a vow to his dying beloved, life is not so easy as to allow two kindred souls to meet in all lifetimes. As the curse said, Y/N was reborn in the same body of a demon woman, and died at an early age, never once meeting mid-twenties, before falling pray to disease, or to the torturous punishments of the village. On some occasions, she even drowned, or became food for the wild animals of the forest - And slipped to death from a mountain.

Shen Wulong, on the other hand, lived long lives, achieving awakening and enlightenment of all kinds, becoming strong and stronger through each Huisheng reincarnation - Yet none of his future selves was capable of sparing their Y/N of an early death. Was he still not strong enough? Or was fate truly so cruel that it did not want them soulbound?

No matter how many hundreds of years it takes, however, he will not stop trying to save her.

---

"Shen, wait!" the beautiful princess ran after him, in the middle of the night. Her thin pink dress was flowing around her gracefully, making her ressemble a delicate peony. "Please, don't leave!" "I cannot get in the way of your happiness, Y/N. You will be safe at the palace, married to the Emperor." the man didn't look back at her. "My happiness is you, Shen. I do not want to marry him - It has always been you that I loved." Wulong sighed deeply, feeling her small arms wrapping him in an embrace from behind. He could feel her soft trembling as she wept in loneliness and heartbreak. "I have watched you die countless times already. If I cannot keep you safe from disease and natural causes, then at least at the Palace, the physicians will know what to do, and you won't have to do anything dangerous to put yourself in danger. You're safe. Now go." the man pried her hands away from the princess, not having the strength to turn around and peek at her distraught face. "I won't be safe, Shen. The Palace is the least safe place for a concubine." her voice was trembling with emotion. "You are breaking my heart." "As long as you're alive..." he disappeared into the darkness, never showing himself to her again.

But as she anticipated, life in the palace was more agony than bliss, and with the guards overhearing their interaction, the princess was exposed and punished forever in the Cold Palace, where one of the Consorts sent to poison her.

Upon hearing such news, Wulong's anger took over him, and he killed everyone in the palace.

Such instance happened again, when he agreed to take Y/N under his wing, and he had to leave for a prolonged amount of time to solve business with the Worm. Alas, during one reincarnation, a traitor defector group found Y/N and used her as bait, killing her before his very eyes - Yet another, was far more heartbreaking.

Y/N clinged onto his arm, begging him not to go, fearing for his life. Silly woman was so worried that she followed after him, and during his fighting, Y/N called out to him - And he killed her. He had left her at home, why was she there, of all things?

"Damn it, you stubborn woman, haven't I told you to stay the hell at home?!" he growled to his gritted teeth as her splattered blood spilled down his face. There could be no harsher cruelty than having your soulmate die in your arms, because of your carelessness. "Forgive me, my love. I was just worried about you." was the last thing she said, before Shen watched the light diminish away from her gorgeous eyes. "No matter how many centuries pass, you never cease to surprise me with your endless misfortune and affinity to death." he scoffed, holding her tightly into his arms. "How many more times must I see you die, before your curse is broken? How long will it take to finally see you happy? When will you shed tears of joy, instead of wearing fear and sadness on your beautiful face?" he sighed, carrying her away from the battlefield. "No matter the circumstances of your birth, you remain more beautiful than the Peonies I gave you. Your grace can rival the Moon, and your kind selflessness is greater than that of the Moon Rabbit. If only that you were Chang'e, and became immortal, not one of the tragic Beauties of our country. If only I could fight the ethereal and destroy the chains of fate shackling you into purgatory." he placed her body on a bed of flowers, taking one last look at her, before leaving. "If only I could tell you how much I love you."

Peasant or Princess, Vendor or Medic, free woman or slave, it mattered little, for she had the same fate. Every time, without fail, something had to happen. It drove the Connector crazy. The World, and Y/N - He wanted them both, and he wasn't willing to compromise.

Watching Y/N being mistreated by other men, only for her to run away, scared as he killed them; No, brutalized them - That was hard to witness. Y/N was his, and nobody has the right to even look at her the wrong way, let alone harm her.

Centuries later during the modern world, the latest iteration of Shen Wulong was at large, controlling the Worm and wreaking havoc into the world. Still, even The Connector wanted to have a break, under the pretext of collecting precious information on the opponent, so he went to watch the Kengan x Purgatory Tournament, named the Berserker Bowl, where his clone would be fighting also. No doubt, the other one's clone, Tokita Ohma, would also be there.

He made quick friends with this man called Yamashita Kazuo, and another Narushima Joji - His nephew was one of the fighters also, what a coincidence. What he hadn't expected, however, was to see a gorgeous woman with flowing red hair and the most beautiful light coloured eyes. She looked as gentle as always - And unhealthy also. She held a terrified aura, veiled perfectly by a tender smile.

She had come to salute the manager, but greeted him also. He almost blurted out his real name - Yan would have had his head for that mistake - And he said his name was Jackie Lee. What a silly name. Still, Y/N smiled, bowing her head slightly at him. "It is lovely meeting you, Mr. Lee. I am Y/N L/N." Shen almost cringed, hearing her speak so overly polite with him, but kept his appearances up. "Can I presume you are Chinese also?" the man nodded at her. "I was born here, but my parents are Chinese." "More like 'Slave', rather." a disgusting voice came out of nowhere, earning the faintest twitch of fright from the woman. "You know you'll never really be accepted in our country, don't you?" Y/N didn't say anything. She kept her gaze down to the ground. "Why'd you run off like that, anyway? Come over. You don't want to talk to other men. You know what happens when you do." Shen could feel how hard Y/N was working to maintain her composure, as she dared step forwards towards the man roughing her away from them.

"Ahh, poor Y/N. She should break up with him already. He's no good for her." the old manager sighed like an upset grandpa. "Why doesn't she?" Shen found himself asking. "Well... I'm not entirely sure. She told Kaede that her parents were sick and Y/N had enough money to keep them in the hospital. The bills are getting higher and higher. She's an honest woman and she works hard, but she had to sell her house to pay the bills, and now she lives at his house. Or, that's what I heard, at least." "I see." the Connector grunted, shifting his gaze as if to pay attention to that ridiculously low-level fight taking place in the arena.

Thankfully, the battle lasted little, and Shen took the opportunity to claim going for beer, to seek out Y/N and save her from that filthy scum who dared touch her.

"Why are you acting like a little whore, eh? You want me to kick you out of the house?" he trapped her against the wall, growling at her. "You should get on your knees and suck me in front of everyone." Shen's rage was immeasurable, watching his beloved Y/N tremble and weep in fear of a lowlife weakling. "But I'm in a good mood now. I won't humiliate you in front of everyone. That will have to wait until home." "Not with you, she won't." the jerk had his head held tightly in the Connector's grasp. "Nobody touches her." like a juicy tomato, his head exploded under Wulong's raw force, the blood splashing everywhere. "Are you alright, Y/N? Did he hurt you?" "N-No... Thank... Thank you... Thank you." she looked down, quickly wiping away the tears. "Don't look down." he rose her chin gently, wiping away the stray tears. "You are too beautiful to cry."

Y/N dared look at him, and with a single gaze, Shen found himself smiling. "Go back and watch the matches, Y/N." the Connector said. "And don't worry about a thing. Everything will be taken care of. Stay safe." with a kiss to her forehead, he disappeared without a trace.

Though she had no idea what happened, Y/N felt something laying in her hand, and a warmth spreading through her heart. It was a beautiful hair pin, and golden and jade, with pink peonies. On it, a name was engraved.

Princess Y/N

How did he know her name? When did he get this for her? It was evidently old and veritable. What was going on?

She had no answer.

At least, not until days later, when she went on a mission to the Inside, with Ohma and the rest, to rescue Ryuki. It was a long and perilous journey, and even worse was when they encountered Gaoh Mukaku - Who seemed to know her. He taunted her, mocked her, even threatened her - But more, he said he'd use her as bait against the Connector, Shen Wulong.

But why would he use her as bait against a man she's never met in her life? She didn't take him seriously until he went to attack her personally, as though she was a fighter and had any kind of power at all. She only managed to escape by using the pin Jackie gifted her to slash away at his face. Unfortunately, it had broken a little, falling to the ground in a pool of her spilled blood - But she escaped.

When they made their exit, Y/N told them to go ahead without her - She had to return for the pin. Something told her that it was important. Not only that, but the few seconds spent with Jackie, she felt... Happy. Though she may never see him again, she wanted to remember him in some way.

She returned to the temple Mukaku was at, but the pin wasn't there anymore. Trying to keep as quiet as possible, she tip toed inside the temple, thinking that psycho took it for himself.

"Aaaaand you've lost me. I've had enough of this." Shen rolled his eyes, bored out of his mind with Mukaku's repetitive antics. He had fought this man enough times, but every time, he wasn't worth his while. All of a sudden, a rustle was heard, and a few soft footsteps followed. "Hey, uhmm...Did you see my hair pin? I know I used it to slash your face, but... But I just defended myself! ... My spine still hurts like hell though." Shen's eyes widened, and he turned his head to see the beautiful young woman struggling to step through the rubbles of the destroyed temple. As soon as she rose her head to look for the old man, she saw not only him, but Shen also - The shock and fright were evident on her face, and she looked like a deer surrounded by predators. "I... Should not have returned. I, uh... I-... I'm sorry! Bye!" panicked, she tried to leave the temple immediately - She was, thankfully, just at the entrance, though even there, she unknowingly stepped on a trap that would have slashed her to fish-bite pieces, were it not for a strong force tackling her to the ground. "J-Jackie...?" she gulped, feeling his strong arms keeping her safe and shielded from danger. Looking up, she saw the overly sharp piano wires that would have easily cut her in pieces as if she was a Happy Tree Friends character. "Oh my god..." her body's reaction was to spring away from Wulong's arms and run the hell away - But he didn't let her.

"I can't believe my bait returned willingly. You thought yourself smart, but you died a fucking dumbass each and every time. It's your fault you died, you know? And his, for not protecting you. How many centuries has it been? Or maybe even thousands of years? You're weak for a woman who can't live to see her thirties!" Mukaku put on a gas mask and readied his sword. "I almost shattered your spine, and you return for a hair pin? Ha! You deserve to die, woman." Y/N squeaked in fear as Mukaku, with incredible swiftness, brought down the sword, ready to slash her and Shen where they stood - But somehow, defying the laws of physics was a regular thing for the Connector, who kept her safe, held by one arm to his chest, his hand placed over her mouth and nose as if to prevent her from breathing, while the other hand caught the blade.  "Terrible decision, really." Shen glared at Mukaku. "Not even close." "Yeah, you're right - But this should do the trick!" Mukaku used Indestructible on the blade, cutting Wulong's hand into bleeding. "Jackie - You're bleeding! Let go of the blade!" Y/N managed to speak through his fingers. "Don't worry about me. Try to keep from breathing as much as you can. This cheap bastard flooded the room with Carbon Monoxide. It's just one thing after another." as instructed, Y/N picked up the handkerchief from her sleeve and pressed it to his face to help him with the breathing."Very kind of you - But I'm fine. I don't need to breathe. Use it for yourself, Y/N." Shen told Mukaku that the man who killed his clan was his previous iteration, and some illogical shit about stopping the breathing process, to slow the aging process. He then easily got up, throwing away the sword and kicking him in the face. "Did you seriously think you could outdo us? How asinine." Shen used the sword to impale Mukaku's shoulder. "Running away? You don't have that privilege anymore. I told you - I've grown tired of you."

"Are you sure you wanna kill me?! If I die, Ryuki dies too! I'm the only one who knows where he is! Are you just gonna let yourself die?!" Mukaku spat, desperate to live. "How come you're so obsessed over Ryuki anyway?! Ain't Tokita Ohma one of your clones too?! Why does it gotta be Ryuki?!" Mukaku was, no doubt, trying to prolong his suffering. "Oh man. Yan's gonna give me hell for everything I've done lately. Well - You're gonna be dead anyway, so there's no harm in telling you!" Shen sighed in realisation. "Tokita Ohma... Is not me." "HUH?!" Mukaku was on the ground, bleeding heavily. "Wait, hold the GODDAMN PHONE! What the hell are you talking about?! You can't expect me to believe that bullshit! I mean - Have you seen the guy?! He's the spitting image of Ryu...?!" Gaoh gasped loudly, as Shen was vibing with a dark, killing aura. "Yeah, I think you've figured it out by now." with an effortless swing of his wrist, Shen snapped Mukaku into pieces. "So die." Y/N had to jump back behind Shen, so all the blood wouldn't splatter on her. "Three times. You're the first person who's made three attempts on my life, and on Y/N's. Looks like third time wasn't the charm, after all." Shen turned around, throwing away the blade, looking down at the woman who looked uncomfortable and outright fearing him. "Y/N." he called out as he gently put a finger under her chin, raising it up to make her look at him. "What do you see?" Though he could see the fear in her eyes, there was also deep confusion, and he couldn't blame her. In this lifetime, he hadn't approached her prior to this encounter. He expected the other Connector to do so, but he didn't. "Have we met before?"

Shen didn't say anything - Instead, he retriever the pin from his pocket, along with all the broken accessories. "Did it save you?" Though Y/N had no idea why he'd change the subject like that, she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. I... I, uhm... He threatened to use me as bait and kill me in front of you. For the... Fifth time, he said. Or, uh... Maybe he just meant he knew I died four times during his life. I'm not sure. He was weird." he uncomfortably scratched the back of her neck. "I was weak and he grabbed me. Slammed me to the ground, tried to punch my guts out. Before he could, I slashed away at his face and ran away." she hung her head down, feeling guilty looking at the beautiful yet broken accessory. "I'm sorry. I know it must have meant a lot for you, and I broke it." "A pin isn't worth more than your life, silly girl." he spoke with an amused tone. "I'll just get it repaired and return it. It's yours, not mine."

"I don't understand." she spoke softly. "I have so many questions... I don't even know where to start." "We have all the time in the world, Y/N. If you're willing to stay with me, I will answer all of your questions, and more." he replied. "I remember every incarnation you had - Or at least those who managed to live past a certain age. Unfortunately, there weren't all that many." Y/N looked down, feeling a weird pang of pain in her chest. She couldn't understand much, but her heart was working against her mind, and she agreed to stay. "What is your name, Jackie? Your real name?" she asked, making the Connector scoff in amusement. "Shen Wulong."

🌸No matter which iteration of either you or him, Shen Wulong is going to treasure you more than his own life.

🌸Though he never truly succeeds due to unforeseeable circumstances, he always prioritized your safety above all else.

🌸He only ever wanted to make you happy.

🌸Your smile was his reason for living.

🌸He always found the prettiest flowers to put in your hair, and found new ways to compliment you.

🌸And he loves to kiss you all over your face.

🌸Your forehead and the back of your hand are the places he loves kissing you the most.

🌸He sees you as this frail and pure princess that he needs to protect at all times.

🌸He loves to dance with you under the moonlight, with your fingers intertwined together.

🌸He loves relaxing so much, and the best place to sleep is either with his head on your lap, or hugging you.

🌸Shen has the talent to unintentionally tease the hell out of you with his sincerity. When he's relaxing with his head on your thighs, he ends up getting bored and his hands roam around your skin before her starts placing small kisses, going upwards.

🌸He hates to admit, but he loves seeing you blush so innocently whenever he's touching you a little more intimately.

🌸And the adorable sounds you make when he kisses your neck drive him crazy.

🌸Though he loves calling you by your name the most, he's going to nickname you using all the names of the prettiest flowers he knows.

🌸He especially loves it when you dance for him.

🌸And would buy you all the prettiest clothes and accessories, because you're so radiantly beautiful and he wants you to feel that way also, to see you beaming with confidence, because for him, you're perfect.

🌸Intimately or not, he's going to worship you.

🌸Shen would do anything in his power not to burden you with the notion of the Worm, and all the dangerous things he's involved in. Not only is he constantly afraid that any minute spent with you could be the last, but he doesn't want you to be afraid of him.

🌸He wants you to love him for who he is, hence why he's never going to hide anything from you - Except what means to be the Head of the Worm.

🌸He never really bothered to explain Huisheng to you, because by the time things got serious between you two, you'd die, and he'd have to suffer through your loss again.

🌸He never once gives up on the idea of saving you from the curse.

🌸Even if your last cycle is not going to be with him as your lover, he truly just wants to see you happy and safe, living a long and fulfilling life.

🌸He tells you, in great detail, how much he loves you every night before you fall asleep in his arms. He wants you to know how much he treasures you, so that you will never feel alone and sad again.

🌸He also hopes that, somehow, it will make your next cycle feel a little lighter, and that your souls will somehow be so connected that he'll be able to find you sooner and save you from any pain and suffering.

🌸The only one he really trusts with your safety and knowledge of your true identity is Yan, with whom you become quick best friends.

🌸Shen is incredibly happy to see you two hit off so well, and he feels at ease, knowing you'd be safe with him, and comfortable also.

🌸He knows Edward Wu could keep you safe also, but he was a creep. Fei Wangfang also, could be a bit weird sometimes. Now, with Gilbert Wu and the so-called Tokita Niko around, he's even less trustful of them, so he tries to keep you a secret.

🌸If Xia Ji even dares look at you, Yan would crush his skull. That rat man doesn't deserve to be in the same country as you, let alone look at you.

🌸In truth though, your kindness is so genuine, even with Ji, that the idiot ends up at your feet, ugly-sobbing and thanking you for being so nice with him.

🌸You're honestly just confused, but end up patting his hair awkwardly.

🌸Yan kicks him in the fishing pool.

🌸Shen gets upset that the fish got scared, and they have to change the spot again.

🌸But then he asks you to tie his hair again. He doesn't need too, but your fingers in his hair always make him feel good.

🌸And he's never really angry around you either. Somehow, he always feels at ease around you, even if the external circumstances pissed him off to no end.

🌸Shen Wulong is going to battle the Gods and even Fate itself, just to get your Happily Ever After together.

---

Being in a relationship with Kure Raian... Being in a relationship with Gaolang Wongsawat... Being in a relationship with Kano Agito... Being in a relationship with Tokuno’o Tokumichi... Being in a relationship with Yoroizuka Saw Paing... Being in a relationship with Wakatsuki Takeshi... Being in a relationship with Gaoh Ryuki... Being in a relationship with Narushima Koga... Being in a relationship with Shen Wulong...

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

He is so goofy 🥹

[yellowelectroslime]

Hi! Can I ask for headcanons of Shen Wulong having crush into someone? Thank you in advance ✨

sorry i don’t know much abt shen

when u point out that u think he likes u he would immediately go “omg ur right, yan likes u a lot”

he’s so goofy like that its so funny

honestly i feel like he would go silent when he’s around u tho

but he would nod a lot to whatever u have to say

just pretend that u didn’t see him blush whenever u smile

otherwise u would turn around and LEAVE (out of embarrassment lol)

i think yan would spill the tea first tho

cuz shen won’t talk about nothing

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Being in a relationship with Gaoh Ryuki...

( Disclaimer: This is going to have darker tones to it, Reader is from the Inside, and well... We know how awful the inside is, especially for women :) )

Y/N smiled passively, listening to music loud enough to tune out the world as she walked to Yamashita-san's company. As usual, she managed to successfully skip class, so she decided to have her lunch with the old man, whom she sees close to a father figure. Needless to say, though she was so young, she felt the most at home around the old CEO, his secretaries and all the Kengan Fighters, since very young, when she first got involved in the Underground world.

Fixing her cute summer dress, she knocked on the door of his office, and entered. "Yo, Yamashita-san, I brought my famous bento lunch! Let's eat together today!" she spoke cheerfully, only to freeze upon making eye contact with a familiar face. Though she wasn't greeted by the manager himself, she saw her classmate, Koga, bored out of his mind and rather frustrated. She wanted to laugh in his face - She almost couldn't believe he finally managed to get himself in relation to the Underground after so long; But what caught her attention was that brunet man, looking absent-minded. "OH MY GOD, OHMA, YOU'RE ALIVE!" she squealed cheerfully, the lunch pack falling to the ground as she jump-hugged the man, holding him tightly. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I KNEW YOU COULDN'T BE DEAD! I KNEW IT! YOU'RE TOO STRONG TO DIE, OHMA!" the man didn't speak a word, bewildered, but unable to voice any kind of protest out of shock and confusion. Koga was long since forgotten, yet it was Yamashita Kazuo who cleared her throat, and in the gentlest voice, called out to Y/N. "Y/N... I'm sorry, that's not Ohma. Look again." Y/N froze, and in that moment, the stranger placed his hands gently on her shoulders, pulling her at arms' length, so she could take a better look at his face - Indeed, that wasn't Ohma, but by hell, he looked like they could be twins, or at least a younger brother. "Oh no... You're right... You're not Ohma... But you look so much like him... But you're a bit shorter, and your body isn't as buffed up. Even your hair is a little longer and lighter in shade. Your eyes too... They are dark, but gentler. I should have known better... You couldn't be Tokita Ohma's younger brother by any chance, can you?" she tried, but the boy shook his head, earning a sigh from her. "Sorry to disappoint, miss, but I hope you see this Ohma again some day. My name is Gaoh Ryuki, and I'm here to become a Kengan fighter." Y/N looked up at him, unable to break eye contact, and she smiled. "Yeah, I can see that, alright. You are going to fit very well in this matches. I can feel these things, y'know?" she giggled playfully - Not only was she sure any person with the last name 'Gaoh' would be an excellent fighter, but a survivor of the Inside like himself was sure to make it big in an underground fighting arena. "My name is Y/N L/N, it's lovely meeting you, Ryuki. And I'm sorry again for mistaking you for someone else, that was unnecessarily rude of me."

"Hey, are you just going to ignore me?!" Koga's voice made both Y/N and Ryuki look at him. "How'd you get here, anyway?!" "Question is, how did YOU get here." Y/N chuckled teasingly. "I've been associated with the Kengan Association since I was 10 years old. I have to say, it was rather hilarious seeing you stumble around, trying to find your way to the underground. Gave me quite the laughter." "Wh-What?! How could you -- Hey, why didn't you tell me?! You knew how much I wanted to get in the underground!" Koga frowned, stomping in front of her like a little brat throwing a tantrum. "Why? I think that's obvious, isn't it?" Y/N gave him a wicked smirk, completely shocking the boy, who only knew her as that kind and sweet girl who could do no harm. "It's because you would die the second you stepped inside the arena!" she laughed mockingly at him. "There's no way someone like you, as you are now, could POSSIBLY compete with those MONSTERS!" she turned around properly, stepping in front of him, dangerously close, as if to provoke him. "In fact - You couldn't even defeat ME, let alone an actual fighter!" "What the heck, Y/N, are you trying to challenge me to a fight or what?!" based on her impish, mischievous smirk, the short-tempered boy only got angrier. Before he even got the chance to react, however, he found himself being thrown into the shelf, the whole world rotating aggressively with him. "Yes. I was challenging you. If you can't even react fast enough to defend yourself against a girl, you stand no chance, Koga. You have to gain experience and train properly if you ever want to make a proper debut." Koga seemed to be mumbling, pissed off but unable to protest after what happened. The poor manager was freaking out a little, concerned for the silver haired boy's well-being. "Well, Y/N, Koga is now Yamashita Co.'s apprentice, so he won't fight in an official match any time soon. As you said, he needs to get prepared. As for Ryuki, he is going to become an official fighter." the old man spoke in his usual gentle voice. "Sounds about right. Where does Ryuki stay?" it might seem like a peculiar question, but the old manager knew very well the reason behind it. "Both Ryuki and Koga are staying over at my place." he explained simply. "How about that. Ryuki, would you like to stay over at my place? I bet it gets rather crowded at the old man's place." Ryuki looked attentively in the sly girl's eyes, and he could easily pick up on the undertone behind her proposal. With a quick look at the old man, seeking approval, Ryuki smiled innocently and agreed.

Y/N didn't wait to hear Koga's yells of protest, for she hooked her arm to Ryuki's and guided him out of there, enjoying a nice walk all the way to her home.

"What is it that you wanted to speak with me?" Y/N smiled, hearing his words. "Ah, pretty AND smart, I like it." she chuckled leisurely. "I know you're from the Inside - Surely, you know that about myself also. I didn't want to reveal it in front of Koga, he doesn't get these things. He is too... Innocent." "I noticed." he nodded his head. "Have you gotten out of the Inside recently?" she asked softly, and he affirmed. "Did you have anyone to teach you how to read and write?" he shook his head. "And do you want to?" "I suppose that could be useful." he shrugged his shoulders absent-minded. "I got adopted when I was 10 years old, and we escaped. Mum was super smart, and she started studying and became a CEO. Dad became her fighter. I had the privilege of leading a rather beautiful life for the second half of my life." soon, they arrived in front of a large mansion, with a beautiful flower garden and an outside pool. Ryuki could only stare, mesmerised at the lush opulence displayed before him. "Please, make yourself at home. Dad's going to love you." "Y/N... This is really too much." Ryuki mumbled, feeling a little uncomfortable. "I know, it took a while to get used to it - For all of us - But, you know... We deserve it, after what we've gone through, don't you think?" the boy looked at her with a small yet appreciative smile. He couldn't say that he went through that many atrocious things to begin with, but he wasn't blind to the suffering of the others who hadn't the privilege of being adopted by a man to care for them and teach them how to fight. He couldn't imagine what Y/N went through, but at least now, she was fine.

✩ Here, at your home, you taught Ryuki how to read and write.

✩ You often hung around with him and Koga for pubs, restaurants, shopping and what not - Though obviously, Y/N paid for everything, as she was the only one actually earning money to begin with.

✩ Though Ryuki needn't glasses, he got a fashion pair, and you thought he looked adorable.

✩ Also, you loved buying him all the most ridiculous and cute Tshirts and sweaters.

✩ He even agreed to have matching outfits!

✩ You could completely understand why he spoke so freely about killing, and his lack of remorse - You were the same, and unfortunately, you always end up indulging him, without realising.

✩ Life on the Inside left a powerful mark on both of your lives, and even though you left that place physically, a part of you will always be affected by the time spent there, fending for yourselves.

✩ It wasn't until Himuro pointed it out to you, that you realised your lack of care of the life of others wasn't exactly normal behaviour.

✩ You, Himuro and Ryuki ended up pairing up, while Kaneda took Koga to Seki's Wrestling arena, to train.

✩ When the Kengan vs Purgatory Tournament was announced, you assigned your Dad to be one of the original fighters, along with Gaolang and Dad's best friend, Wakatsuki.

✩ You could tell that Ryuki was being just polite with you, at least at the beginning - There was a shallowness and emptiness to his smile, but with time, and your mutual hatred for the Worms, you started feeling some trust in one another.

✩ You cheered for him when he went to fight Jose in the wrestling ring, and even kissed his cheek as a victory prize, to which he smiled like a cute puppy getting a treat.

✩ You were impressed with his way of explaining the footwork game to Koga, and played the referee for them - It was easy for you to understand Ryuki's words, and even wanted to play with him yourself, it looked like a lot of fun, though Koga was getting a little frustrated.

✩ He couldn't understand Ryuki as well as you did, and you often had to translate it in easier words for him.

✩ Koga took Ryuki shopping again, and though he tried to get him to adopt a super cool street style, well, Ryuki definitely preferred something more comfortable and cute.

✩ Ryuki even admitted to you that it was rather fun hanging out with Koga once in a while, though he was a little weird.

✩ When the two boys were taken to the Purgatory to explore a little, you refused to go, out of sheer ego and arrogance.

✩ Over the time, Ryuki began confessing to you about his active effort in eliminating the Worms, and you supported him whole-heartedly; They had to be eliminated forever.

✩ This time, however, Koga witnessed his killing, and Ryuki couldn't understand why he was to upset and angry at him - Didn't he know how evil the Worms are?

✩ You try to explain to him that Koga is completely unfamiliar with the way the Inside works, and even the Underground, and that he shouldn't take it too heart, he'll get over it eventually.

✩ You even tried to talk to Koga, but he outright refused to listen to anything you said in Ryuki's defense.

✩ When you heard that Ryuki's proper employment match was against Akoya, you shuddered in deep fear and tried to reason with Yamashita, but there was nothing he could do.

✩ You told Ryuki about how much of a psychopath monster Akoya is, and how terrifying he can get, but he only smiled brightly at you, kissing your cheek and reassuring you that he'll win - For you.

✩ You have no idea when you started caring so much for Ryuki, but watching him getting brutalized by Akoya made your eyes sting with forming tears, and your heart was aching, the same way as when you watched Cosmo getting tortured by him.

✩ When you saw Ryuki stopping himself from delivering a killing blow, despite being mounted, on the ground, and vulnerable, you realised that Koga's words affected him so much that he allowed himself to get hit until he lost consciousness.

✩ "LEAVE HIM ALONE, AKOYA!" you yelled at him, jumping over the gate and grabbing his wrist as Paula the referee announced the match over. Thankfully, Katahara's bodyguards were there to aid you in stopping that psycho from killing Ryuki.

✩ You immediately knelt by Ryuki's side, helping him stand, and took a handkerchief to wipe away the blood caking his face, before pulling him into an embrace, his face cradled to your soft chest.

✩ If it weren't for the blood on his face, he would have blushed at the proximity.

✩ After the fight, you allowed him and Koga to make up, all alone, though you remained with Yamashita and Kaede, lowkey spying on them, happy that they were finally getting better.

✩ For the next month until the Purgatory fight, you watched Ryuki train in your courtyard, sometimes sparring with your Dad and getting better and better with each fight.

✩ And your Dad ended up liking his so much, that they have a Father-Son relationship of sorts, which almost gets you jealous. Just kidding, they are adorable.

✩ It was the first time you told someone of your Mum's tragic death, and how you had to take over as the CEO at barely 13 years of age; Though your Dad took it the hardest, and never recovered from the loss.

✩ You told him how you were an orphan at first and how you have no idea how you survived until the age of 5 in the worst district known to mankind, Rikuko, before a mafioso kidnapped you, trafficked you and pimped you out until the age of 10, when one of the newer prostitutes along with a client rescued you and took you as their own, with the wish of escaping this hell.

✩ It wasn't an easy escape, and you continued being in danger until you stepped foot over the custom line - And even then, you lived in poverty until your Mum's smarts and Dad's prowess landed you with a whole goldmine and a life of luxury.

✩ You even admitted to Ryuki only that you're still actually afraid of sleeping by yourself, and you don't feel safe even in your own home, despite the guards on the premises.

✩ Since then, Ryuki offered to sleep in the same room with you.

✩ Initially, he wanted to sleep on the ground, unable to look at your beautiful body wearing only a thin and short nightgown.

✩ When you pull him to bed and cuddle with him though, he's completely lost in the warmth and holds you to his chest without any seconds thoughts.

✩ Sleeping together like this becomes more natural for you than anything else.

✩ Sometimes, when he thinks you're asleep, he'll whisper sweet things into your ear, or play with your hair absent-minded, or kiss your forehead; All these things calm him down so much, though he doesn't know why.

✩ Your Dad always jokes about how cute you two are together, and how you'll end up getting married soon.

✩ You have cute dates just strolling around the park, enjoying a coffee at the cafe, or rollerblading around idly.

✩ Or, at night, he'd show you fun 'games' that his grandpa used to help him train, and considering the Gaoh style is more or less proclaimed a coward style, Ryuki thought it would be useful for you to learn, in case you got attacked and needed a quick escape.

✩ When you were told that Yamashita and Koga got attacked and the boy was in hospital, you quickly took the car and drove that way, only for the door to swing open and see, this time, the real Ohma.

✩ "OHMA!" the same as with Ryuki, you jumped on Ohma, this time, 100% sure it was the real one. The man patted your head, smiling down at you - He knew how much you missed him, even though you only met during the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, but with the amount of times he saved you from Rihito's harassing, he became as good as your elder brother. Not to mention, you always cheered and bet on his fights, especially after he destroyed Raian.

✩ Though, the pyscho Kure devil was also fun to hang around, but even better to tease - Yet it always backfired tenfold.

✩ Despite how friendly you were with the two fighters, Ryuki couldn't stand how they were telling Koga to give up on the idea of joining the competition - You had to agree with them though, despite how much he's worked out in the past half a year, he was still nowhere near the level of the veteran legends of the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, which represented most of the roster to begin with.

✩ Both you and Raian had to point out, more or less, that Ohma simply meant he couldn't participate for the moment, especially with all those injuries, and Narushima seemed rather emboldened by it.

✩ Ryuki was in a gloomy mood the whole night though, and you couldn't snap him out of it until you were sent to the island where the Tournament was taking place.

✩ You were so happy to see most of your old friends again, and made sure to have nice conversations with all of them, especially with Misasa, with whom you shared a fighting style. Small and cute people like you had to defend yourselves somehow!

✩ Of course, for the first fight, everyone had to argue amongst themselves on who the should go first - Poor Gaolang got so pissed that he simply went on ahead to calm the waters.

✩ His shameless defeat shook you to the core, and you ended up protesting loudly at how unfair it was, playing by the weakling rule of a ringout.

✩ You hugged Gaolang tightly, reassuring him that he was the real winner in the Kengan's eyes.

✩ Next, that German Powerhouse of meat, Julius, won against Pineapple Head.

✩ Your favourite fight, however, was Misasa's, whom you nicknamed Ken, and you were Barbie the CEO. Not only was it fun to watch him fight, but he completely humiliated that traitor for betraying not only Kengan, but Katahara especially.

✩ The next fighter was Naidan, a Mongolian fighter, who coincidentally was also a White Worm, who directly provoked Ryuki into fighting him.

✩ Not only you, but your Dad also, tried to warn the boy to keep his wits about him and not lose his mind over revenge; Hopefully, he will be fine.

✩ Koga also got in the stands next to you, to get a better view of the fight, though all of you were on the edge.

✩ Naidan was, unfortunately, far stronger than Ryuki, and no matter how much the boy wanted to hold back from killing, to keep his promise to Koga... He had to get serious, otherwise, he would just end up dead.

✩ Naidan was provoking and confusing Ryuki so bad, to the point of him losing his mind - Though he started attacking faster, he completely disregarded his own safety.

✩ Just like in the fight with Akoya, Ryuki ended up on the ground, mounted and roughly strangled to the point of almost fainting.

✩ Though he wanted, even to the bitter end, to keep away from killing - Naidan forced him to kill him.

✩ Ryuki was devastated and lost completely.

✩ You were the first to run over to Ryuki, shamelessly kicking Naidan's corpse from above him, before falling to the ground and grabbing Ryuki in a tight embrace, telling him everything was going to be okay and that it wasn't his fault. It was self-defense. Koga agreed with you also, once he got over.

✩ You were so angry on Ryuki's behalf, that when Liu tried to attack him, you immediately leapt to your feet and deflected his punch, cursing at him and telling him to get the hell away from you.

✩ Thankfully, Ohma and the others came by also, taking over for you so you could return to Ryuki.

✩ During Agito's match against yet another filthy Worm, you and Koga tried, and failed, to comfort Ryuki.

✩ In the end, Ryuki asked to be left alone for a while, and you could do nothing but watch as he left the arena, into a dark corridor, to sulk all alone.

✩ Raian's fight was next, and you found yourself laughing almost hysterically as he split his Wu opponent in two. Poor Koga looked at you like you had mental problems.

✩ Meguro's supposed brother, Hayami Masaki, went on to win the next match against one of the two Kings of the Purgatory, Jurota, yet you had no clue that Ryuki ended up getting corrupted by none other than Kiryu Setsuna, whom you thought long dead.

✩ Akoya's match against Nicolas ended up in a draw, and unfortunately, Nitoku lost just like Gaolang, over a stupid Ringout, against that emotional idiot Liu Dongcheng.

✩ At least Naoya, wearing a clown outfit, won against Terashi... Though, you still couldn't quite understand why he was wearing such a ridiculous get-up to begin with.

With three more matches to go, Ryuki finally decided to return, all but bewitched by Setsuna's magic, yet just in time to say his good wishes to your Dad fighting; He had no idea why you looked so angry though.

"You will NOT be fighting now! Let Tsuki-san fight! Let Ohma fight! They won't lose their mind in a fight, but you WILL!" you yelled at your father. It was the first time anyone ever heard you raising your voice. "Sorry, honeybunch, but I gotta. Ain't no way I'm letting that fucker humiliate you like that." your Dad kept his back at you, cracking his knuckled. "TO HELL WITH HUMILIATION, SOME WORDS DON'T HURT ME ANYMORE! HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU MORON! WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITHOUT YOU?!" everyone in the Kengan arena watched as you kept screaming at your father, while he could only glare at the ugly bastard waiting and taunting him in the ring. "N'aww, cutie, why you got so little faith in me? Your mum woulda be much more encouraging." he chuckled dryly. "No, mum would have slapped your face for being so fucking dumb, that's what she'd've done!" you gripped the back of his shirt, trying to budge him. "I am the CEO! I am directly FORBIDDING you from stepping into the ring!" Your father hung his head, remaining silent for a few seconds. "Yo, Wakatsuki. When my little babygirl marries Ryuki, won'tcha be walkin' her down the aisle for me?" the poor man looked with extreme confusion and bewilderment at his friend. "I think you should be doing that yourself, friend." Takeshi replied. "He's saying that because this dumbass KNOWS he has every chance of getting provoked into a blind rage and getting himself killed!" your frustrated scream only shocked those around you. "Mama's really lonely up there, y'know? And I miss her like hell. Someone's gotta keep her company." your grip fell lax, and you felt your body grow cold and unresponsive. "What about me, then? Are you going to leave me all alone? Am I not your child? What about me?!" you felt tears streaming down your cheeks silently. "WHAT ABOUT ME?!" "My only happiness in life was your mother, and seeing you grow in the beautiful and intelligent young lady that you are. You're gonna be safe now." he started stepping towards the ring. "Forgive me, Y/N."

✩ You remained completely absent from everything around you, almost like you were all alone, in another dimension, forced to watch your father being massacred by the very mafioso who destroyed your early childhood. His looks could resemble Alan Wu after Raian ripped him apart.

✩ Ryuki's heart ripped in two, finally brought back to reality by the raw shriek of anguish, and the distraught expression on your face as you violently ripped and tugged away at your gorgeous velvety hair.

✩ When the mafioso dares speak ill of your father for being weak, and even throwing crass and improper comments on your child-body, not only Ryuki, but Wakatsuki also, wanted to beat the crap out of him - But you were faster.

✩ All spectators gasped as you took out a dagger holding your hair in a pretty updo, and with perfect Silat and Systema moves, you hacked away at the evil-doer, slashing away at his flesh, digging into his chest, ripping him apart, stabbing his skull, until he reverted into nothing but mush and porridge. People were screaming at the murder taking place for a fourth time before their eyes, and not the referee, or the fighters could hold you down.

✩ Ryuki was the only one capable of prying you away from that monster, and even though he tried to hold you into his arms, like you always did for him, you were on such high alert that you pushed him away, yelling at him not to touch you.

✩ Koga followed after you, and though he tried to reprimand you for slaughtering a man, his heart was also broken, having finally found out your story, and understanding now why you always took Ryuki's side and excusing his murders.

✩ When you got home, you cried the whole night and there was nothing Ryuki could do, except stay there with you, making sure you didn't feel afraid, all alone, in such a huge mansion. He, too, mourned your father's death, having gotten close to him over the course of time.

✩ "Ryuki... Do you want to be my company's fighter? I don't want to ever lose you. Not you too." he agreed.

✩ After the Kengan vs Purgatory Tournament, Ryuki joined Setsuna and Akoya in defeating the Worms, while you supported them with funds and information.

✩ Since then, you contacted Misasa, Retsudo and Rolon so that all three of you could teach you their own variations of Silat, as it was the best fighting style for you.

✩ When the Berserker Bowl took place, you cheered on Ryuki all the time - Though you were shocked when he ultimately lost against Koga.

✩ That wasn't the big issue though. What hurt the most was that... Rihito won. There is no atrocity in life bigger than Rihito winning anything in life. Useless man with ugly shorts.

✩ With this loss, Ryuki had a revelation, amidst a lot of confusion - He completely severed ties with Setsuna, and decided to speak to you, Ohma and Yamashita, about going by himself to the Inside, to have a talk with his grandfather. Too many of his convictions got shaken up in the few months spent Outside, and he needed to get some questions answered.

✩ Albeit reticent and afraid, you gave him the blessing of going.

✩ As reassurance, Ryuki kissed your lips for the first time, promising you that, when he returns, he will ask you out.

✩ Though you and Koga waited and waited, the Summer ended, and Ryuki hadn't come back. Naturally, you began to worry, so you created a small party to get to the Inside and rescue him, including Ohma, Retsudo, Himuro and Rei.

✩ Ryuki's GPS tracker stopped somewhere around Rohza district - Not the worst, but not the best place to live either. That place, however, wasn't a district anymore, but a contested place for a turf war by all sides, as every minute, the borders of the districts keep changing and changing actively.

✩ Both Ohma and you explained to Yamashita how dangerous it is to live in the Inside, and that not even people living there would dare cross districts through that place, and instead, take cautious steps through the Outside.

"So you're going through Rohza? That's a good choice." Kushida Rin spoke, once the four of you returned to Yamashita's office. "Rohza and Hachio are the more relatively safe parts of the Inside, but you'd have to go through Goyu to get to the disputed territory through Hachio." though she got a little flustered when Kaede mentioned how well versed she is about the geography of that god-forsaken place. It seems she wasn't aware Rin was also from there. "How about Rikuko?" Koga asked innocently. "THAT'S PLACE IS HELL ON EARTH! NEVER EVER GET EVEN CLOSE TO IT!" Rin shrieked, visibly shaken up. "... That was my home for 10 years." you bit your lip, shivering softly just remembering that place. "There are no words to describe that place. I bet even Hell is a kinder place than Rikuko. I home it gets burnt to the ground, along with all the people living there. No, rather, all those fucking monsters." Koga looked at your disturbed and disgusted face, and felt a tremor of sheer fright go down his spine.

✩ You reached the huge wall separating the Outside with the Inside, and felt your heart covering with a blanket of ice and numbness, seeing the destruction and desolation of this place. You never wanted to return to this place, but Ryuki needed saving, and you couldn't abandon him.

✩ You got to the Black Market, and followed the safest route that Retsu's men could scout, but before, you took lodging in a dilapidated place, provided by the General himself.

✩ Instead of going to eat with Ohma and Koga, you remained with the others, and though you couldn't find the power to speak much, you went through packs of cigarettes to try and sooth your stress. You didn't.

✩ Himuro especially expressed his worry for your helped, but you simply smirked and showed him you just puffed them as a bad fixation habit.

✩ When those two returned, Koga explained that Setsuna visited them and told them some info about Ryuki and Mukaku's safe houses and what not. When you told Koga that you were well aware that Ryuki continued to kill Worms with him, he got frustrated, grabbing yours shoulders and shaking you, screaming at you for allowing him to murder.

✩ You simply punched him away, not wanting to bother with explanations.

✩ The next morning after breakfast, the General sent a lackey to call them over, and he asked for one of the party to defeat one of his men, to see if you deserve an escort.

✩ Without a second thought, you stepped forwards, ready to face the hulky man with swirly tattoos.

✩ The only one to protest was Koga, but Retsu shut him up.

"I'm far too angry to pretend I'm an innocent little princess. I'm here to rescue my boyfriend and return home, with all the party members intact and in good shape. So, let's get it over with, shall we?"

✩ You took out your dagger and played around with it, before going to attack the large man holding a knife.

✩ Of course, you were in a playful mood, so like a cat playing with its prey, you confused him with a few good side-steps, before placing the tip of your dagger to his neck artery. "Should I kill you, or do you surrender?"

✩ The general stopped the fight, offering you your guide as he watched you high-fiving the other men in your party who praised your techniques.

✩ The Nameless Guide guided you through the Underground, through the Second Layer, and when descending back to the surface, they were brought to a path that led to a temple.

✩ Out of nowhere, an old man with a large meat cleaver attacked Ohma - He looked incredibly hostile, claiming you were Worms - Koga had to clear up the misunderstanding, though you could smell the bullshit. The old man was a shit liar, and the others seemed to be sensing the same.

✩ He claims Ryuki dropped by about a week prior, but he wasn't around anymore. Somehow, you couldn't believe him. Though he doesn't know where he could be, he explained that Ryuki is indispensable to the Worm, as both him and Ohma are clones of the Connector.

✩ When Himuro's phone beeped, you took out your cigarette pack and followed him and Retsudo outside of the temple, voicing your concerns of the blatant truth avoidance.

✩ You pointed out your belief that Mukaku might have attacked Ohma, thinking it was Ryuki - But why would he attack the child he raised?

✩ When you returned to the temple, Mukaku told you a story of his youth, of him getting in the inside, taking the many Niko as his students, how the Worms made the Inside, the Gu Chamber Ritual, and how during the field trip to Gakigahara Forest, the Nikos ended up killing each other as two of them defected to the Worm side. Ohma's Master, Tokita Niko, was the only one left.

✩ He went on to say that, after attacking a Worm base, he found baby Ryuki and took him under his wing.

✩ Koga got all chummy with the old man, cutting log and wrestling around. Ohma and Himuro kept trying to find any lie in the old man's tale, while you looked at Retsudo speaking on the phone in the distance. He, like yourself, had your doubts about Mukaku.

✩ When finally Retsu returned, he told Mukaku that his men found Ryuki and was taken into custody. The old man's reaction, as well as his shift in gaze, was enough to confirm his lies.

✩ You tried to ask the old man of Ryuki's location - Clearly, he was somewhere on the premises - But the revelation came through, that Mukaku was actually a Worm.

✩ Retsu revealed the Gaoh style is a hoax, and it was just a revived Nameless style, and that the old man was a Remnant of Wowang. Of course, he got hostile, and though dumbass Koga had to go ahead and get himself in trouble, needing rescue from Ohma, you and Retsu, followed by the dumbass boy, ran away to a storehouse where Himuro was waiting. It was the place Ryuki was kept at.

✩ Not inside the house, but underground in a cellar that stank of death, rot and decay worse than anything you've ever encountered before.

✩ Using the lighter's flame, you went on ahead, seeing the countless skeletons and rotting corpses, and all the way in the back, shackled by the wrists, a beaten up Ryuki, half-conscious, was hanging there.

✩ Though Koga's loud scream rang painfully through your ears, you rushed ahead to rescue your boyfriend. Thankfully, despite how bad he looked, his breathing and pulse were just fine.

✩ Soon, Mukaku led Ohma to the cellar after surrendering - There was nothing else he could do, he says. He explained the true purpose of Wowang, and how they wanted to kill the Connector. He also mentioned how all the bones around are the remains of all the kids who couldn't become Niko. How awful.

✩ Though a little confusing, he spoke of Shen Wulong, the Connector, being a clone of his predecessor, and how the Worm was continuing to clone to create the most perfect iteration of the Connector. Mukaku wanted to destroy all closing facilities - Apparently, all attempts at cloning Shen were failures, and with the facilities destroyed, Ryuki was the last existing clone of him.

✩ That's why he sent Ryuki to Kengan - To lure the Worm and get the chance to kill Shen Wulong.

✩ Of course, Koga's temper got the best of him, and Ohma had to hold him back from injuring himself against that beast of a man.

"Guys, forget him, he's none of our concern. Shen Wulong is going to have a lot of fun, finishing the job of killing all those worthless Wowang cockroaches. We came here for Ryuki, so let's get him to safety already." though they agreed, Ryuki, woken up, used all of his strength to cling on you and get in a sitting position, to get a chance to speak to his grandpa. "Were you... Just using me... Grandpa?" his broken voice shattered your heart. "Why else would I keep you? The only reason you're still alive today is 'cause you're the clone of the Connector - That piece of shit wants you back, no matter what. Then again, I find it hard to believe - How can a weakling like you be one of HIS clones? What a failure the last clone turned out to be." it wasn't just Koga, but Himuro also, seething with rage and cursing the old man. "I understand. You're not my grandpa anymore." Ryuki sighed, defeated and depressed, hanging his head.

Before you left, you took the opportunity to land one clean punch, breaking Mukaku's nose. "That's for breaking my boyfriend's heart." you hissed at him, before slashing at his cheek with your dagger. "And that's for hurting him." you turned your back to him, supporting your boyfriend up. "Heed my words, old man. Run away. Shen Wulong is going to massacre a weakling like you!" you laughed, taunting him and rushing the boy out of the stinking cellar.

✩ Ohma spoke his sage words, reassuring the two boys, as Retsu simply suggested to get the hell out of there already.

✩ Ryuki got the best medical treatment, and you stood by his side, next to his bed, until he was finally released.

✩ He hadn't spoken much at the beginning, but in the end, he allowed himself to cry a little, in the comfort of your arms. The betrayal had hit him hard.

✩ When you finally returned to your home, he was very clingy and didn't want to spend any moment apart from you. He was like a cute, clingy panda, just seeking your affection and attention.

✩ It was during his most vulnerable time that he first confessed how much he loves you and how grateful he is for everything you've done for him, and especially, the endless love you bore for him.

✩ Koga would continue teasing you for being so overly affectionate with each other, but you simply shrug.

✩ The three of you continue hanging around often.

✩ When you get intimate for the first time, Ryuki is very attentive, to make sure you're comfortable and not afraid of his touch - He knows very well what you went through, and wants to make sure you're feeling okay all the time.

✩ He's so gentle all the time, and he kisses you the entire time. He can't get enough of your lips.

✩ He loves missionary the most because he can take it slow, with you in his arms, amd he can suffocate you with all his love and passion, cradling your face, kissing your forehead, seeing all of your cute expressions and those sweet thrills you make for him.

✩ Ryuki's love for you is pure and innocent, and he only ever focuses on you and your pleasure.

✩ He gets off on making you feel good, and he loves taking his sweet time in bed, taking you over the edge many times.

✩ Just like your Dad predicted, Ryuki proposed pretty quickly, after he won an important match for your company - Of course, your fighter friends were present and cheered for you.

✩ That night, he told you your Dad talked to him about you and the prospect of marriage pretty often, told him about his relationship with your mum, and it inspired him to become a better man for you, worthy of becoming your husband.

✩ He doesn't know yet entirely what real life in the Outside means, but he has time to learn, and people to teach him - His most important goals were to protect you and that precious smile of yours for as long as he's alive.

✩ Though your wedding wasn't big, with many guests, it was grandiose and all of you and your dearest friends of Kengan and Purgatory were invited. Alright, maybe that's quite a lot of people actually.

✩ As promised, Wakatsuki walked you down the aisle, and with Mokichi being the priest holding the ceremony, Elena was the flower girl and the ring bearer.

✩ Koga was the best man and Sayaka was your Maid of Honour.

✩ When Ryuki saw you as a bride, he almost started shaking with emotion, a huge grin on his face and shining like a happy golden retriever - He only needed a tail to wag.

✩ He was so impatient for you to get over to him already, and since he had no idea how the ceremony was supposed to go, he kissed you before Mokichi could even say a word.

✩ You are happy.

-----------------

Being in a relationship with Wakatsuki Takeshi... Being in a relationship with Yoroizuka Saw Paing... Being in a relationship with Kure Raian... Being in a relationship with Tokuno’o Tokumichi... Being in a relationship with Kano Agito... Being in a relationship with Gaolang Wongsawat... Being in a relationship with Gaoh Ryuki... Being in a relationship with Narushima Koga...

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 23 - The Connector

"Ohhh, that's so awesome! Really?" Ohma's eyes widened a little, watching his wife, upside down on the couch, her long hair sweeping the floor as she giggled on the phone. "Even the Russian Mafia joined? No way! Ha, that's so cool!" it must have been Inaba she was talking to, otherwise she wouldn't be giggling and gossiping like that. "And you've got the Brazilians too? The Portuguese? The Yakuza also? And a lot of cults and political factions too? The Worm's gonna get annihilated in no time, amazing!" she's been talking on the phone for at least an hour - On face cam, no less. Ohma couldn't hear anything they were saying on the TV. "Oh, okay, okay - Go say Hi to Uri from me! See ya, Sadako-chan!" finally, Kisara closed the phone after nicknaming the Black Phantom after the ghost girl from The Ring. Very smart.

"You talked through the entirety of the film. Film that YOU wanted me to see." Ohma grumbled, playfully glaring at her. "Well, yeah, I did - But! Inaba told be about their meeting with the big powers and how their Anti-Worm alliance went. I have to call Raian and see what he knows also, but all in due time. The Kure clan is pretty busy lately." the man rolled his eyes, snatching Kisara into his arms and taking the phone away from her. "Shut up and replay the movie from the beginning." the girl giggled, doing just that before relaxing in his embrace. "Say, have you heart anything of Koga lately?" Ohma hummed in affirmation. "Yeah, he's with Kano and Rolon, training. On a trip with the Purgatory chairman or something." "Oh, is that so? Maybe we should go on vacation soon, how's that sound?" Kisara grinned up at him. "We just returned two days ago, you disaster woman." he ruffled her hair, amused. "Nothing's to say we can't have fun whenever we want. Not like there's anything holding us back, anyway."

True, there was nothing holding them back, except a lowkey duty to destroy the Worm, if the time arose. With a well-planned scheme and lots of people involved, Inaba and Himuro found Xia Ji, the one who brought Ohma's cloned heart to save him, and tried to subdue him; They failed. With the aid of Medicine Man's tracking device, Akoya and Ryuki found him and tried to take him down - They, too, failed, but Ohma was there to make a deal with the Chinese leader. If he doesn't run away, he won't hurt him - Otherwise, he won't be able to move ever again. Tokita guided Xia Ji to a warehouse, where not only those who tracked him down were waiting, but the Heavenly Wolves also, but Kisara and, of course, the main fighter, Narushima Koga who was waiting for his rematch after what happened months ago when Ji and his gang almost killed him and Yamashita Kazuo. Were it not for Ohma and Raian, they'd have been minced meat.

If Ji wins, he gets to walk away without anyone trailing him. This was Koga's closure, and Xia Ji seemed to want to fight him also, under who knows what pretext. He looked desperate enough, and bloody and bruised to the core - Yet his pride, most of all, was destroyed. Just as expected, the enemy pulled out weapons, but it took no time for the youngster to beat punch him away, throwing away any said blade. Punch after punch, Koga kept beating the feral man down, until he god up, more desperate than ever, and like a spiky wolverine, he began attacking with a ridiculous amount of force, almost reminding Kisara of Wakatsuki's punched. Hold up - With how easily he gets up, and his weirdly ferocious punches... Could he also have a milder Superman Syndrome? What a joke. Every word out of his mouth is a lie, and every deed is an act, yet in all honesty, Kisara and Ohma agreed to one thing, watching the fight - He's stronger than Koga is at the moment. Those martial art skills were truly wasted on that rat man.

Every time Koga knocked him out, Xia Ji got angrier, spewing shit about being the ruler of the underworld and that he'll destroy everything - Was he connected to the head of the Worm, then? Did he have all his power taken away from him? That wasn't the behaviour of a leader, he was far too emotional and distraught, not to mention, a complete and pathetic failure. He appeared dangerous, practicing some techniques from Chinese Wushu schools, turning his whole body into a whip, concentrating his strength into his fingers so that he may inflict the maximum amount on damage at a rapid pace - Even so, Koga had the upper hand, chopping at his wind pipe, punching away the weapon he tried to use as a trump card, and using his Crescent Moon Kick as a finisher, Xia Ji was on the ground, groveling pathetically, begging for mercy though contradicting himself - Saying he won't kill anyone, but in the same breath, denying the worth of the dead.

Finally, Ohma stepped in, stopping Koga from killing Ji, and letting him go - A debt, repaid in full. A mercy undeserved. But if he ever shows his face again, Ohma will kill him himself. Nikaido Ren mentioned that, although they had orders to eliminate Xia Ji, they have been revoked - Ji was no longer affiliated with the Worm, he has no power anymore - Still, they will continue monitoring him every so often.

Since then, Koga continued to train with Ohma and the others, preparing for the Berserker Bowl that will be taking place soon enough. They've got some big names getting to fight in the Kengan x Purgatory joint project tournament, including Cosmo and Saw Paing, but also, some of the so-called supernovas. As soon as Kisara heard Rihito's going to enter the tournament, she cringed, calling Yamashita Kazuo about entering. She would rather die than allow that idiot the chance of winning. He had enough luck to get the easiest matches and find his way to the top. She was gonna crush that hope.

"You're kidding." Ohma looked at her, incredulous. "I never knew you were so petty." "That's an understatement, love." Kisara's smile was poisoned like Snow White's apple. "I've been hating that guy even more with each time he hit on me like the disgusting pervert that he is." Ohma huffed, amused. "Alright, Your Majesty. Go win that crown."

Though she entered that tournament, she hadn't told anyone, so it was a huge surprise for everyone upon seeing the Queen of the Kengan Matches in one of the eight pools. She only fought twice - A win and a loss, both in high-stakes tournaments - Yet both fights were at least two years apart, it was as though she had retired. Not only that, but she was still the CEO of the Hasashi Company.

Pool A: Furusaki Jinsei, Leonardo Silva, Hong Xiaohu, Albert Hiruma Poo B: Sakuragawa Arata, Yurikawa Taiju, Tsukamoto Seishiro, Imai Cosmo Pool C: Ilyukhin Asimov, Death Crow Jr. , Yuge Tsuyoshi, Rihito Pool D: Mark Myers, Pitali Klitschijo, Kim Jang-Gi, Onoda Ikkai Pool E: Kim Seung-Yuop, Aki Saito, Narushima Koga, Funayama Yoshiki Pool F: Kono Haruo, Himuro Ryo, Luca Tyrant, Adam Dudley Pool G: Hasashi Kisara, Nam Nhat, Sawada Keizaburo, Yoroizuka Saw-Paing Pool H: Gaoh Ryuki, Ushiroda Takero, Chiba Takayuki, Tokeshi Kota

Each entrant will fight one match every two weeks, so a minimum of four weeks to determine which single person from each pool moves on to the championship. What a pain in the ass, Ohma agreed with Kisara's statement. They were used to fighting everything, all at once - This was far too lax a schedule.  Unfortunately, each Pool had fights in different cities, so it was rather a drag. In spite of that, Kisara convinced Ohma to go support Koga, whereas Yamashita Kazuo was in Hokkaido with Ryuki. She was fine with Tsuki-san as her supporter. Her first fight was against Sawada, the fighter using dancing at his core. The red head smirked, knowing she will get an easy win. Coincidentally, just after getting Ohma back, she started taking dancing lessons. Why? Because she noticed her lack of grace, caused by all those manly fighting styles she was using, and how in the world could she be a pretty princess dancing gracefully the bride and groom dance, huh? Clearly, she needed some practice, and what better than to learn those pretty Chinese dances she saw in the Imperial Dramas, alongside with some Wushu schools, to add the cherry on top?

Now, now, Sawada didn't have to see her going all out fighting, he wasn't worth her time, unfortunately, so might as well have a little fun, yes? She fought much scarier opponents before, so this should be a piece of cake.  Confident, Kisara initiated the fight, baiting the opponent with a low palm strike, before dodging a chop with her forearm, followed by a kick attempt. Sawada tried to hit her with some roundhouse kicks, but she easily evaded them, before kicking him in the ankle, to make him lose his balance a little. Just as he tried to lunge at her, she went in for a diaphragm kick, an uppercut, ended by an elbow to the back of the head, and a knee in the face, making him fall backwards painfully. Quickly, he got up, jump-leaping at her with a heel strike, but Kisara ducked, swiftly following close behind and kicking him in the butt; As he was down, she hit his head down to the ground with her heel. Not giving him any time to breathe, she grabbed him up, gracefully twirling with two strikes to his vitals, and another palm to his jaw, and another barrage of well aimed strikes. Finally, Keizaburo used his whirlwind strike, which made the fox girl smirk - As he was rotating her way, she swooped to the ground at the single leg supporting him. As he stumbled, Kisara jump-kicked him to the ground, before doing a backflip, hitting him in the head weird her feet - With a graceful pirouette in the air, she landed gracefully on his head, stomping him into the ground into a perfect K.O., as she did a pretty courtesy for the audience.

Hasashi Kisara won.

As expected.

Still, it almost amused her how they still referred to her by her maiden name. Not that it matter, she was still the one and only Kitsune Queen.

Kisara grinned, jumping up and down like a child in front of Takeshi, gleaming with cheerfulness. "Was I cool, Tsuki-san? Was I? Was I?" The man pat her head, humming in amusement. "Of course you were. I told you, you had a real career as a fighter - Not that it's any of your priorities." he said. "Were you so bored that you entered this low-stakes competition? It's not like you." Kisara's smile turned into a mischievous smirk. "I just didn't want to let that blond idiot, Rihito, win." Takeshi's eyes bulged open in shock, only to start laughing.  "You're ridiculous." he shook his head at her.

The outcome of the first match was as follows: In Pool A, Leonardo Silva and Hong Xiaohu won. In Pool B, Sakuragawa and Cosmo won. Pool C, Rihito won, unfortunately, and the Russian guy too. Pool D, Myers and Kim won. Pool E, Koga and Aki Saito won. Pool F, of course, Adam won, and unfortunately, Haruo won against Himuro, only to forfeit because of an injury - What a pity.  Pool G, Kisara won against Sawada, and Saw won against Nam Nhat. At this rate, she's going to have to fight that hard-headed dumbass puppy. Awful odds for her. Lastly, in Pool H, not only did Chiba win, but shockingly, Ryuki lost.

Two weeks passed by past, and Kisara now had to face none other than Saw Paing - And honestly, what a drag! That guy was as though as it gets, and even crazier than the craziest weirdo in the world! Who the hell could break the ground with their head, anyway? Should she use speed, like Rei? Should she use Aikido? No, most of her Aikido moves involve throwing and head or face hits, that's not going to work on his ironman. Agito's style, maybe? But she'd rather not show everyone her Dragon Shot again, just like in the Kengan vs Purgatory tournament. After two years, people might have forgotten she even knows the Fang's fighting style, so better to use that in the later rounds, and keep diverting now - But Saw was not a person worthy of underestimating, he was incredibly strong, and Kisara feared him. She was sure punching a brick wall hurt less than punching him.

"Haha, sorry, Kisara! Can't believe the first time we meet after your wedding is in the fighting ring!" he laughed, pumped up for the fight. "Forgive me but I'll go all-in with our fight!" "And I promise I'll do the same, Saw!" the girl promised him as they both took their stances.

Saw took his usual Muay Thai stance, whilst Kisara got in a basic Kenpo low stance, hoping she was capable of learning enough Wushu techniques to beat him. Saw charged in, delivering two alternative punches before doing a roundhouse kick to her head and a knee to her jaw, as the height difference permitted, and a kick to her ankle - Though it hurt, Kisara managed to block all attacks, using Indestructible. In retaliation, she got in a crouch, sweeping at his feet and charged with a butterfly twirl kick, only to block again two punches coming her way swiftly. Damn, this man is hella strong, she tsk'ed, aiming a jab move similar to Gaolang's, though she knew very well he knew how to counter it.  She couldn't continue blocking his hits, she would soon get too injured to carry on - She had to get on the aggressive at once. 

She quickly did a high kick, followed by a few feint jabs at his jaw, an elbow to the diaphragm, and a fast donkey kick with both feet, driving him further behind. She rolled to the ground, jumping up and uppercutting him, continuing with a chop to his wind pipe and a quick fall to the ground, scissoring his feet into stumbling away. As he got up, she jumped and heel-kicked him twice before hooking her foot to the back of his neck and slamming him into the ground - She followed by grabbing his wrist and elbow similarly to what Hatsumi taught her, and falling to the ground, she destroyed his joint so he'd have less use in his right arm.

Facing again, Saw continued using even that injured arm, fighting through the pain, and they hit each other with new techniques, either blocking them or baring through the brunt of the jab - Either way, Kisara knew she must not allow him the chance of using the Hammer of Burma, or she was dead meat. She had to hit his windpipe somehow and knock him out, and fast, otherwise she doubts she can win with her force.

In a quick sequence of movements, Saw managed to score a punch to her abdomen, knocking her backwards, following with a few more well aimed hits towards her head, a shin kick and an uppercut with all connected, leaving the woman gritting through the pain. "Damn it, Saw." she wiped the blood from her chin, jumping up, only for the Burmese to spring at her immediately with high kicks and an attempt at grabbing, which thankfully failed - Her Aikido was always going to save her, it seems. She quickly grabbed Saw's wrist, rotating with him to change the flow of the motion before pushing him away so she can get going and finish this quickly. 

Kisara got in a low eagle stance, spring up with two strong palm his to the diaphragm - As she was rotating, she grabbed his other wrist, using her elbow to hit him hard, which she repeated as she faced him again, with an uppercut. Still holding onto his wrist, she dove behind him low, kneeing at his lower spine, swiping back at his feet, dragging him to face her, kicking him in the abdomen and palm-striking him away. Instead of falling back, Saw grabbed tightly onto her arm - He was ready to use the headbutt on him, but he didn't have a good enough grip on her. Before he could charge, Kisara held on his forearm, tripping him and getting to his side before instantly karate chopping at his windpipe, making him fall to the ground - To make sure he would get up, she quickly kicked him in the ribs to roll him on his belly and slammed her knees onto his back, immobilizing his joints again.

"KISARA WINS!"

Oh, thank fuck, Kisara breathed out in relief, shakily getting up to her feet. Somehow, that fight was worse than the one in the Purgatory. Maybe. Whatever.  She stumbled slightly walking back to Wakatsuki once again, who gently put a towel on her head, wiping away the sweat and blood. "I never want to fight that monster ever again. How did Gaolang keep up with him all these years, anyway?" Kisara groaned dramatically. "Nah, well, I suppose Gaolang is Gaolang. I doubt I could do that every again though. I'm just glad Hatsumi taught me well enough to do cheap, dirty tricks like that." "A win is a win, don't think too much of it. It was a great fight." he handed her back the phone. "And I filmed everything, as promised." "Sweet! I can't wait until Ohma starts picking apart every mistake I made!" she laughed mirthfully, evidently joking. "Hey, Tsuki, let's go grab Cos and go for a drink, yeah?" "Sounds like a plan." the man smiled simply, waiting for her to get showered, get the medical attention required and change to her civilian clothes before leaving the arena.

From Pool A, Leonardo Silva won. Pool B, of course, Cosmo won with no problem. From Pool C, annoyingly enough, Rihito won. In Pool D, only Mark Myers remained to advance further into the competition. Pool E was easily won by Koga and Funayama. The brawl between Himuro and Adam in Pool F was won by the American who trained hard with Kureishi and Cos. Kisara won and advanced further into the competition from Pool G. And Pool H, well... Ryuki won against Chiba after almost assassinating him. Poor man, he might not be a brilliant fighter, but he's doing well enough for himself. They had to do something about Ryuki before he does something irreversible.

Late into the evening when Kisara finally arrived home, Ohma was already there. He seemed pretty content - Had he just finished a sparring session, maybe? Regardless, she made a beeline to change in her sleepingwear and let herself fall on top of him, exhausted after such a long day. "So, what did you think about my fight? Worth writing in the book of records?" "Hell no." Ohma chuckled. "But considering who your opponent was, you did pretty damn well." he praised her.  "Ha! You're getting mellow. It's almost like we're married!" Kisara grinned, nuzzling in the crook of his neck. "So, three more fights, huh?" Ohma hummed. "You really want to win, don't you?" "Oh, I don't care about winning - But losing means getting beaten up to a pulp and getting knocked out. I don't want a reminder of what happened in my fight with Takeshi, y'know? So - By default, I gotta win to avoid pain. That's enough of a motivator for me." Ohma actually chuckled at her hilarious resolve. "That, and I get a rush of dopamine when I beat Rihito." "You're a menace."  "You won't be coming to the drawing ceremony, will you?" she asked, raising her head to kiss him. "Nope." he smirked. "I and Yasuo are gonna watch from the comfort of our home, stuffing our faces with a ton of food." "Yeah, that does sound like you, alright. You're such men, it's unreal." she laughed softly. "Don't worry, I'll write my autograph on your forehead after I win this." "And Her Majesty's ego is bursting through the roof again." Ohma rolled above his wife, trapping her face between his hands.  "Not only that, but this Queen deserves a little bit of royal treatment, don't you think?" she smirked, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him down into a deep kiss. "So demanding." 

With the tournament beginning, Kisara dressed in her most beautiful green hanfu dress, flowing around her as if she was a Spring Nymph, with her hair filled with flowers. She might not be Chinese, but considering the amount of things she learnt from that culture, from fighting style, dancing, history and what not, to the time she spent learning from Agito in the years they were away; There was nothing more beautiful than the awakening of one's soul and the happiness achieved through enlightening. Or whatever Buddha Gautama said - He's the top guy, he knows best.  Might as well become a princess! Buddha might have renounced his titles and luxuries, but she was far too shallow to let go of her hard-earned possessions. And she liked being pretty! Though she'll have to wipe off her make up before her fight, she wouldn't want to look like a Kiss member after a concert, or a wet, trashy raccoon.

"It's time to begin the draw for the Main Tournament!" Sayaka called out from the stage, next to Alisa. "And now, introducing the Eight Berserkers vying for the top!"

One by one, the champion of each pool walked forward on the stage. Pool A: Leonardo Silva Pool B: Imai Cosmo Pool C: Rihito Pool D: Mark Myers Pool E: Narushima Koga Pool F: Adam Dudley Pool G: Hasashi Kisara Pool H: Gaoh Ryuki Everyone was dressed their best, all of them beautiful and shining - Of course, Kisara, the single woman there, was the most glamorous. If people thought the only woman fighter might have stood out the most, they were wrong. Koga, dressed like a fucking pimp, was the single sore spot on the roster. Poor boy truly needed some female influence in his life. With the draws done, the matches were as followed:

Match 1: Imai Cosmo vs Hasashi Kisara Match 2: Mark Myers vs Rihito Match 3: Narushima Koga vs Leonardo Silva Match 4: Gaoh Ryuki vs Adam Dudley

Finally, everyone could relax and enjoy the banquet at their leisure, for on the morrow, the tournament will be taking place.  Regardless, Kisara had a lot of fun with Cosmo and Adam, taking their sweet time laughing and gossiping, catching up and what not. Koga was at the table with all his other supernova friends, Rihito was flirting as always - But Ryuki was all alone, in a corner. Kisara felt like she should try and comfort him in some way, or maybe encourage him, yet she had no idea what to do, so she continued her own fun. After enough pictures taken to commemorate a lovely evening spent, and a flooded social media, they returned home to rest until the tournament.

The Tournament was taking place in the Purgatory-Owned Coliseum, called "The Core", a hundred meters underground. Unfortunately, Nogi wanted to add the pathetic Ringout rule, so Kisara had to pay extra attention to what she was doing. Before the first match could take place, Kisara quickly paid a visit to the manager who was watching from one of the best stands up in the audience. "Hey, hey!" Kisara smiled brightly, flinging around her arms to play with her long sleeves. Though she couldn't wear a pretty dress anymore, there was nothing to say she can't continue wearing her pretty haori or hanfu coats over her equally pretty gym clothes. Gotta be a fashion icon even while sweating to hell! "Oh, Yamashita Kazuo, you've got a friend! You are so sociable, I envy you!" she grinned, turning her gaze to the man who was drinking canned beer with the old man - He was tall and well built, just like a fighter. He had a calm yet almost apathetic or bored look on his face, and he had his messy blond hair kept in a tail. "My name is Hasashi Kisara - Oh, actually, I suppose Tokita Kisara, considering I got officially married recently." The man looked her straight in the eyes for a few seconds, almost making her feel uncomfortable, before he spoke. "Jackie Lee." he said his name. "It's lovely meeting you, Miss Kisara. Your match is coming up soon, isn't it?" Kisara smiled, as if she was sparkling. "Are you Chinese?" she asked. "Oh? How did you know I am a foreigner?" Jackie tilted his head a little in surprise. "Yamashita-san also guessed well. Is it my accent?" "I'm not sure! It's just - I've gotten acquainted with the language over the past five years or so, and I think it has a certain melodicity that Japanese doesn't have. It's like... Like a honeyed mead caressing your soul. Does that make sense? No, of course it doesn't, that was stupid, forgive me." Jackie smiled at the woman, shaking his head. "Don't apologise. I'll take that as a compliment." he said. "I actually think it's remarkable how you picked it up so easily." "O-Oh, I'm glad you think so!" Kisara smiled cutely, bending a little to his level, only for her eyes to widen a little. "Oh, you have such beautiful eyes! I've never seen anyone with Polycoria before! And your shade is truly unique!" "Ahh, you flatter me, Miss." he smiled friendly. "Can I treat you to anything? I wanted to go get more beer for the two of us." the man asked gracefully. "Oh, no, I couldn't ask that of you!" she stammered quickly, not wanting to inconvenience. "Besides, I have to rush to my match. I hope I'll live up to expectations!" Jackie look at her again, almost as if he was analysing every inch of her body, before he smiled again. "Don't worry, it's on me. Good luck with your match, Miss Kisara." "Xièxiè!" Kisara attempted to thank him in his own language, offering a peace sign before rushing back down to the arena so that she can begin her fight. 

To think, out of all the possible fighters, she had to be pitted against the one she was most afraid of! Well, Adam was rather fearsome also, not to mention, they both trained with Kureishi. But Kisara was good at taking down huge guys like Adam. But people her size, specialised in grappling? She was screwed. Her joints and limbs were weak, and she has a low pain tolerance. If she lets him grapple her and gets a solid hold on her, she's as good as done for.

"Pity the two of us have to fight, huh? Frankly, you're the one who scared me the most - Such luck I get, huh?" Kisara chuckled softly, looking at the confident Cosmo in front of her. "I thought the same, Nee-san." Cos rose his hand for her to shake. "Remember years ago, when you saw my first fight? Remember how I said I wanted to spar with you one day?" "Your dream came true, Cos." she chuckled, shaking his hand. "Let's have fun, yeah?" "Hell yes!"

The two stepped away from each other and took their stances - For the first time, Kisara actually did a stance - Cos saw her fight before, there's no use bothering to play the stanceless non-fighter card anymore... At least, not against him. Kisara was the first to throw a lazy feint kick, getting him on high alert before stepping away. Just like in a UFC fight, they assessed each other's every twitch of the body, only for Cos to quickly need to block a fast kick to his head, followed by a feint jab to his chest. "Damn, you're fast, sis!" Kisara attempted another blow, only for Cos to duck and grab her arm, pulling her towards him so he could side-step behind her and punch the side of her face.  "Not faster than you, it seems." Kisara had a pained smile on her face, stepping away from him and keeping her feet first as Cos kicked at her ankle, but couldn't make her stumble. They had an equal exchange of quick jabs to the face before the boy feinted a jab to her diaphragm before crouching for a low-grab, his hands trying to grip tightly on the back of her thighs, but his had got hold in between her arm and ribs and managed to wrestle him away, leaping backwards. Cos might not be an enemy she's used to, but it was the first time she fights someone close in weight with her - She couldn't believe she could actually fight him, what a revelation. Still, her master plan was to throw him out of the ring - There was no other way around it, and with her Aikido, she might just make that happen.

As Cosmo was doing his footwork, he rushed right in front of her, aiming two straights to her face - Unbeknownst to him, as he was attempting a grab, Kisara fell low to the ground, her arms around his thighs, going for a similar grab as him previously, and as he tried to get out of her grip, she used her weight to throw him to the ground, on his back like a turtle on his shell. She was on her feet, between his legs, trying to land a strike but also guard against his kicks - What a fucking standard UFC moment, she thought, remembering all the fights she saw with Ohma when he taught her how to fight against grappling, her biggest weakness on Earth. She landed a sweeping kick to his thighs, looking down at him, before scaring him with a fake attempt at jumping down on him, as though she was Seki doing a fascinating Pro-Wrestling move. As if!

Sike.

She jumped again, one leg carefully in front of her so her knee and thigh would get caught between his legs and she could hold all her weight concentrated on her knee, down on his abdomen, while she landed a nice punch to his face, and rolling away to safety. She watched the boy pant, evening his breath, his back slightly hunched on the ground and his legs up - She remembers a Baki episode, when Yujiro Hanma proposed that the invincible move.  But she had the perfect counter.

Kisara waited for Cosmo to kick his legs in retaliation to a feint from her, so she did a cart wheel, grabbing his legs and rolling him with her - But she couldn't get on top of him, for he wrestled away perfectly. Damn grappler king, his reputation preceded him. "I hate grapplers." Kisara breathed out, making the boy grin and jump to his feet, lunging at her with another few strikes - Once again, Kisara forced another grab by kneeling and grabbing at his thighs and waist from the side, similarly to what Agito was doing, and managed to get him on his back again, her torso against hier crossed shins, and she tried to punch him somehow, but he grabbed her arms and hand. They were in a tight lock and struggling for domination by holding tightly onto the joints.  "Where'd you learn to grappler so well?" Cosmo gritted through his teeth as the woman managed to slip from his grip - That sweat was making her slippery. "I have a husband, you know." she grinned at the implication. "The least Ohma can do to be useful is to be a good practice dummy." somehow, she managed to get up and grabbed at his ankle, dragging him around a little, as if to play and taunt him. She was subtly dragging him closer to the edge, whilst also making her unnervingly close. What a gamble. She only bet on people, not on situations like this.

She allowed Cosmo to get up, not wanting to deal with that annoying ground grappling anymore, only to block a few punches with her arm, using Indestructible - But her thigh didn't work as well for that blocking. When he aimed a kick, she grabbed his ankle, throwing herself to the ground, but Cosmo grabbed her head, aiming a hard punch, getting each other in a tight lock and standing up. He landed a painful knee to her diaphragm and a jab to her face, making her gasp, breathless, and be forced to retreat immediately. That hurt like hell. She had to end it immediately.  

With a few steps took forward as if to scare him, Cosmo stepped back before grounding himself steadily on his feet. Cosmo lunged and attempted a punch to her face, but just like before, Kisara ducked and grabbed at his knees, trying to wrestle him down - She got her head in a suffocating headlock and Cosmo kicked her feet, making her fall down to the ground. Immediately he got behind her, his arms around her waist, getting her up, holding her so tight that she feared losing her breath altogether. Her nails were digging desperately into his hands, trying to break free in some way - The line was so fucking close, if only she could... If only...

As she was stumbling around on her feet, feeling her vision blur rapidly, she fell to her knees, her forehead planted on the ground with Cosmo still holding her, kneeling just next to her. This was it. It was do or die - Whether she wins or loses, it's in this last move.  With her last strength, from that uncomfortable position, she got up, clawing at his hand so hard that she managed to snap away the grip of his intertwined hands, and grabbing his wrist, she dove under his arm, tripping him forward and throwing the both of them to the ground, rolling with him like two children and making Cosmo touch outside of the ring.

"MATCH OVER! KISARA WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINS!!!"

Cosmo's eyes shot wide open, and he looked down at the bloody grin of the woman underneath him. "Sorry, Cos. It was the only way I could win against you." "I can't believe I forgot about the Ringout. How annoying." despite the disappointment, Cos smiled and offered his hand to help her up. "Five years ago, you ran away from Senpai after getting him to the ground. To think you'd trick me like that - What a Kitsune!" "That's the only thing I'm good at, after all." she chuckled, getting up and hugging the boy.  "You better with this, okay, sis?" they fist bumped, making a promise. "You've got it, Cos!"

She left for the showers and was ready to look for her darling, but for some reason, she found herself returning to the manager. Why, she wasn't quite sure - On the other hand, she knew that multiple rounds were definitely not her thing... Not in fighting, at least. For other things, well - It's not like she's the one doing most of the work to begin with.

By the time she got up the stands, she saw that Koga's uncle, Joji, also joined them in drinking. Those three seemed to be having lots of fun and were getting along well. "Hi, again." she gave a brief wave of her hand, and the trio, as if sharing a single braincell, waved back in unison. Jackie, who was towards the edge, patted the empty seat next to him for the girl to join, before handing her a can of coke. "You fought well. Thought you might need some energy to keep you going." Kisara smiled gratefully at Jackie, sitting next to him and enjoying the cold beverage.  "Thank you, Jackie, you're very sweet. I hope we hang around again someday!" she said. "Somehow, everyone becomes friends with Yamashita Kazuo. It's really cool, right?" Jackie nodded in agreement, handing her a plate of sweets. "Enjoy." "Hey, that's too much! You've already got me so many things, I can't --" but the casual look on his face showed her he wouldn't accept a negative answer, and to leave the formalities. "Fine, fine. I'll treat you to something later then." she said, munching on e pocky stick. Coincidentally, Joji and Jackie did the same thing, at the same time. Were they kindred souls?

She took out her phone, taking a winking selfie with the pocky between her lips and sending it to Ohma, texting him about random things as she listened to the old man telling them that Myers was a serial killer pardoned by Idemitsu from his 3000 year prison sentence. He won over two hundred matches with his physical abilities alone, and just in his third year in Purgatory, did he start learning martial arts. "Oh, come on, I don't want to fight a serial killer. I've had it with that." Kisara groaned, leaning back on her seat. "If I knew Rihito would get the short end of the stick and face off against that guy, I wouldn't have bothered entering the competition." she ruffled her crimson hair, pouting in annoyance. "You seem pretty confident that he's going to win." Jackie pointed out. "Yeah, well - I don't give two cents on Rihito. I firmly believe he's the biggest shame of Kengan." she shrugged, bored, looking at his stupid coat with << I'M A SUPERMAN >> embroidered in the leopard patterned material on his back. "The only reason I entered the tournament was to make sure he doesn't win. I couldn't live with the idea of the biggest loser in the world winning out of sheer, dumb luck." "Fascinating resolve." Jackie looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. "You must mean - Ridiculous. Petty. Stupid." she chuckled playfully. "I know, I know. But what can I do? I guess I was a little bored, that's all." "I don't think that matters. As long as you're having fun and enjoying yourself, I think that's all." Kisara looked at the man and smiled, happy that someone was so understanding of her weirdness. "That's a positive outlook, I love it! Thanks!" she hummed, leaning on the side to clink her coke can to his own beer can.

That Myers guy pumped his muscles up with Indestructible and engaged in a barrage of punches, but nothing he received seemed to affect him. There was no way Rihito's finger slicer were going to affect this though guy, Kisara thought, and the two men next to her were munching aggressively on the chocolate glazed sticks. Rihito seemed to be doing well dodging all hits. He must have realised already that the Indestructible, especially used by a newby, was heavily flawed a technique - The sturdier he was, the more rigid - Rihito was attacking his knees until Myers gave out - And he slashed at his face - Uh, mask - With his Razor's Edge technique, making him bleed heavily, and fall to the ground, needing a medic urgently.

"You canNOT be serious! That was ridiculous!" Kisara groaned, slapping her forehead.  "Look at the bright side. You'll get to defeat him in the semifinal." Jackie pointed out. "Well... Yeah, true, but..." she muttered softly. "But Ohma got a scar from him, you know? It's pretty bad, and it still hurts him, with the change of the weather. I'm a girl, I don't like scars. That guy's a menace to fight." "If you know where to strike, you won't need to worry about that." Jackie said. "You've got a good handle on Aikido and Wushu. Grab his wrist after he tries to slash you and knock him out with a good hit to the face." "Glabella, philtrum and chin." Kisara gasped in realisation, earning a nod from the man. "Jackie, you're a genius! If you're not a fighter already, you should be! You'd be the new star of Kengan!" she grinned, newfound vitality energizing her again. "I'm not that good." he dismissed her claim. "But I'm glad I give off that impression."

Next was Koga's fight against Leonardo Silva, and as expected, Silva lunged first ready for a low grapple, only to miss and get  a hard punch to his face. Instead of stopping him, Silva continued him torso-grapple, throwing him to the ground - Only for him to be forced to let go of the clutch. Good work, Koga. Your Redirection Kata worked wonders. Your hard work and dedication bore fruit, after so long.  Koga tried to punch his with the Ironbreaker, but got redirected, thus had to engage in a rush of hits with his opponent. Parry and counter, parry and counter, until Silva found his hand aching like hell trying to hit Koga's forearm. Once Leonardo stopped countering and began ducking, it was Koga's time to realise that his Adamantine technique expired, and his fist was twitching - He got distracted, allowing himself to get tackled to the ground. The two grappled and wrestled, his head kept in a tight rear naked choke.

The only way for Koga to get out of that hold was to bite down on his arm while breaking it with the Ironbreaker, causing Silva to leap away - His bone was cracked and in agony. Ohma was very proud of his student. Koga used his finisher on Silva before following close behind with a flying knee, and punched his down with Ironbreaker once again.

Koga won.

"He's a wonderful fighter." Jackie said. "That's my nephew. As in, my relative." Joji spoke blankly, while Yamashita was cheering, excited. "You might just be fighting him in the finals if he continued fighting like this." Jackie turned his gaze at Kisara. "I like the confidence you have in me." she teased him. "I wonder if I can beat him. I'm already feeling as if a panzer tank ran me over... Though, I don't think he's doing much better anyway." she chuckled lightly. "Still, he's been training hard every day for the past years. I've just been dancing and traveling." she laughed leisurely. "What's life without some fun, huh?"

As Koga existed the arena, he was met with Ohma who praised his wit and craft, even going as far as to suggest teaching him another move before his match against Ryuki. Hopefully, he won't use it on Kisara though, should they meet in the finals - Though, Ohma has the feeling that his wife could easily defeat Koga, considering she is the most familiar with his Niko style and all the people that helped train the boy. That tricksy little vixen always ended up surprising, one way or another - Though, he was very proud of her ground grappling. His husbandry work was well done. How funny. 

Jackie came over with a whole bag of cans and sweets, wearing the same apathetic look on his face. "Thank you so much, Jackie! You can sure poind these back, can't you?" Yamashita was blushing with glee and a little drunk. "I'm just, how you say... Boozing and Schmoozing, you see?" how could he say that with such a straight face? "Jackie, nobody says that anymore. It's not Hip." Joji informed him seriously. Out of nowhere, Yamashita's other CEO friends, Yoshitake and Ken came over with more booze, just as hammered. "Narushima, that's pretty old-fashioned too! Hey, Kazzy! I brought us some good sake!" Ken chirped. "Oh, my word! Who's that dandy over there~?" Yoshitake flirted with Jackie, most likely. "Kenny! Mr. Yoshitake! Let me introduce you! This guy came all the way from China." Yamashita explained as Jackie bowed to them humbly, telling them his name and everyone started drinking. Only Jackie made sure Kisara had a nice and cold coke to drink, as she had to fight again soon, in the semis. Men and their drinks.

The fight between Ryuki and Adam began soon and Ryuki started swinging in a way similar to that of Agito's Formless stance, and in the blink blink of an eye, he was on the ground, attacking Adam - But unlike his past mindless brawler style from before, he was much better prepared, especially in fighting theory, and he hit with a high stick shot, and many other hits and kicks, even easily managing to evade an eye gouging attempt by throwing himself shoulder-first into Gaoh's pelvis, making him fall down. When Adam tried to kick at his fallen opponent, but Ryuki got in a handstand, kicking him away, getting his ankle caught in a tight grasp and twirling him around like he was a toy, and from the friction with the ground, his back was bleeding heavily. "Ah, damn, I know those moves. That damn Setsuna... No wonder Ryuki's so hell-bent on killing. How frightsome." "You seem to know quite a bit about this." Jackie noted. "Oh, yes, well - I got in quite a scary encounter with the man who taught him these moves, you see. Quite very scary. If it weren't for my husband, I don't know what would have happened. He was rather mentally unstable also." Kisara shuddered softly, remembering that day when Kiryu took her away, saying he wanted to save her or something. "At the end of the day, I'm still a girl, you know? I don't like fighting that much, but I like knowing I am safe even if there's no one protecting me all the time." she smiled softly. "You, men, are something else, you know? Going out of your way to get hurt, and all that, just for some adrenaline rush. It's kinda adorable." "Interesting. You say all that, yet you're going to fight again soon, under the pretext of boredom." Jackie could feel a smile tug at his mouth. "Ah, well - You won't see me fight again. I've had it with tournaments, officially." she declared. "But I can't deny, I like learning all sorts of things. And encouraging my friends. I don't like watching them lose, but I like seeing them win and be happy." "And if they die?" his question rang somber. "Jackie... I don't want to think of death." Kisara shuddered, uncomfortably. "I... My husband died in my arms. I mourned him, almost three years." she spoke softly, looking down with a sad smile. "I thought life ended for me also. Well... In a weird way, I've got someone to thank for saving him. He might be an enemy, but he brought my husband back to me. Xia Ji might be a pathetic rat man who killed hundreds of people, but for that at least, I can thank him." "Xia Ji, huh?" Jackie muttered under his breath. "You heard of him? He looks like a weirdo, and he doesn't take care of his hair. It looks like hay." she chuckled at him. "No, never heard of him." he shrugged carelessly. "At least you are happy." "Yeah, you're right." Kisara smiled at him kindly. "I am happy."

Adam continued to punch and kick Ryuki, easily tanking his hits, and even if they did hit, he wasn't all that shaken up. Adam was so used to Cosmo's speed, Ryuki was in slow-motion for him, hence why it was so easy to predict his moves and kick him to hell, following up with a rush of heavy punches to the face and even a stomp to the belly, and kicked him into rolling to the other side of the ring like a soccer ball again and again. 

Adam didn't beat down a fallen enemy - Instead, he waited until Ryuki stumbled to his feet and tried to block a hit, only for Adam to play with him like a rag doll, slamming him into the ground. When he wasn't looking, Adam got a small Setsuna-like attack on his forearm. The flower of carnage has blossomed, and Ryuki was ready to kill. Ryuki wasn't broken yet - He knew was being beaten to hell meant, he was trained by his grandpa after all, and just like Ohma, he had to almost die, to become this strong and resilient.  The young boy took more and more hits, like a Kamikaze soldier, and before he knew it, Adam's latissimus dormi muscle was completely twisted to hell my Setsuna's Rakshasa's Palm technique - It only left the hockey master lack-luster in his attacks.  Ryuki used his assassin fingers to shrike at Adam's neck, knocking him out - He was in a critical condition and needed emergency care. 

With all the drama from the last fight, the four went down to congratulate Koga on his win, and wish him good luck on the semis - Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, the two friends were in a deep argument, with Ohma hiding behind a wall, motioning for them not to interfere. There was no chance to save Ryuki while he was still under the clutches of Setsuna - Surely, Ohma realised that too, as he comforted the depressed manager.

As soon as Ohma saw Jackie however, he looked weirdly at him. "Have we met?" "No..." Jackie almost seemed to hesitate. "This is my first time talking to you." "I see. Sorry, I must've been mistaken." Ohma shrugged, unbothered. "There are a lot of lookalikes out there." as the old man pointed that out, Kisara felt a weird, uncomfortable pang in her heart, as though there was something odd, not only about Ohma and Ryuki and their cloning, but of the Worms, the Connector and all these coincidences going on. "This is Jackie Lee, Ohma. He's Yamashita Kazuo's and Joji's new friend. He's been getting us drinks and snacks all day. He's really cool!" Kisara skipped to her husband, getting on he tippy toes to steal a kiss, her arms wrapped around his torso. "He even gave me an idea on hos to defeat Rihito without getting injured at all. Girls care about scars, you know?" Ohma nodded, smiling down at his wife. "Glad to hear you're having fun." he said. "The intermission is about done. Isn't it time for your match? Why are you loitering about, you little dumbass bookworm?" "I wanted to see my stupid gym rat for a lucky charm kiss." she smiled innocently at him, before stealing another kiss and rushing towards the prep room to change in her fighting clothes.

"The first match of the Semifinals - The Trickster Kitsune, the Queen of the Kengan Matches, Hasashi Kisara! - Versus, The Superman, Rihito!" Sayaka called out loudly. "And, in the second match, The First Eye, Narushima Koga! - Versus - The Dragon King, Gaoh Ryuki!" she continued, waiting for the chanting and cheering to subside. "All four are powerful fighters, but two will be eliminated! Their chances are half and half! Who will be in, and who will be out?!"

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[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

How well do all of you know me, it's well over 50 but let's do a little tour around my drive folder

In the '215 fight' there are 24 pictures

'during Kengan matches' is a short one with only 6 but it's mostly because he is almost constantly drinking or eating

'Eating/drinking ' is 19

'Fishing' is 10 (yes. That one proper introduction chapter left that much impact on me)

Past time only 6

And miscellaneous is 5

That brings us to the great total of

¡70!

Tune in with me next chapter he appears in to see if it becomes bigger

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

Let's play a game. How down bad do y'all think I'm?

How many screenshots of shen wulong do I have

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 24 - Wǒ Qīn'ài de Húxiān Huánghòu

"Hey, babe, sorry, but I won't hold back. I'll try to keep from hitting your pretty face though. It would be a shame to hurt such a beauty." Rihito grinned flirtatiously, making Kisara gag internally. "Rihito. I'm married. You came to my wedding." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Married or not, you're still hot and I want your number." Kisara groaned in frustration, not bothering to listen to any of Mokichi's professional commentary.

As soon as the referee announced the moment to take their stance, Kisara cracked her knuckles and adopted Agito's martial arts stance, waiting. The fight began, and Rihito sprung at light speed towards the red head - Only to find himself knocked out, on the ground. For the ordinary people with no experience, it looked like some kind of magic took place - But the others cheered the fantastic win lasting less than a minute. It was a classic Hatsumi Sen win that only someone as fast as Kisara could accomplish. First, she leaned to the side, grabbing his hand, or rather, wrapping her fingers around his thumb, gripping and forcing it in an awkward angle, forcing him to his knees. Before Rihito could escape with the aid of his other hand's Razor's Edge, Kisara used Senpai's Gathering Clouds: Triple Strike move on his face, hitting the glabella, philtrum and chin with such speed that he fell on the ground, knocked out and bleeding.

Kisara smirked, doing a pretty princess courtesy towards the audience, before getting out of the ring, and back to where the manager was waiting to congratulate her, along with Jackie and Joji. She hadn't even sweat, at all - To think that what a semifinal worthy of a Kengan x Purgatory Tournament... What a disgrace! Her fight with Wakatsuki from many years ago was far more entertaining than this hilarity.  As soon as she got up the stands, she double high-fived both Jackie and Joji before slumping down on her assigned seat next to the foreigner who offered her another pocky pack and a coke can, with which she clinked to everyone's beer or sake cups.

"You made that look very easy." Jackie said casually. "It is, actually!" she smiled, munching on that pocky. "It's not." he said. "It takes years of practice. How long did it it take?" "Hmm... Let's see... About four years, I think?" she pondered over. "Ah, but don't think I was in any way athletic back then! Goodness, no I-- I was pretty pathetic and weak. I was still in Uni and studying all day, barely living on coffee and a light meal per day. If it wasn't for Ohma encouraging me to get healthier, I wouldn't have gotten where I am." she scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "It took years to gain any ounce of self-confidence, control and discipline over myself. Hatsumi-Senpai helped me a lot in that regard. I used to be such an anxious little mouse before!" she giggled lightly. "But I got to do a lot of mountain hiking, which was super fun!" "You're just being modest, then. It took your Senpai years to perfect a move and learn how to teach it to you. Don't downplay your hard-work." Jackie hummed, nonchalantly drinking his beer. "You're just too nice, Jackie." she hummed. "Would you like to go hiking with us some day?" "Sure."

The second semifinal began with Koga against Ryuki, which was an exciting and thrilling match. Gaoh began with a fantastically quick footwork towards and around Koga using Setsuna's move, but Narushima was able to dodge before he got killed. Was Kiryu around, maybe? Could Ryuki be so directly influenced by Setsuna, all of a sudden? He wasn't like this a while ago, during the Kengan vs Purgatory Tournament. If Ohma finds him, an all-out war might explode. Ever since Ohma got his memories back, he's gotten so much wiser and level-headed, so grounded and calm, it was truly wholesome and heart-warming; Hence why, Kisara was almost sure that Ohma was protective over Koga, but also wanted to protect Ryuki from negative outside influence - In this case, Setsuna - Knowing he was just a child traumatised by the Inside, similar to him in many ways, but also, so very different. Tokita Niko and Gaoh Mukaku were definitely miles apart on the spectrum.

Koga looked almost helpless before Gaoh's fierce rush - Truth is, Koga wasn't tried to kill his friend, while Ryuki was actively going out of his way to assassinate him. He was dodging and evading, parrying and blocking, even a combination of Koei style Blink and Rakshasa's Palm. All of a sudden, Jackie got up abruptly. "Something wrong, Jackie?" Joji asked him, looking up at the man whilst still drinking his alcohol. "I'm gonna buy some more beer. Want me to pick up something while I'm there?" the foreigner offered. "Can I have fried offal and noodles? I swear, I could live the rest of my life on nothing but fried offal and noodles." Joji chuckled lethargically. "Are you sure you're okay, Jackie? You seem upset. Is the match boring you?" Kisara automatically got up to her feet, her hand reaching out to gently touch his biceps. Jackie looked down at her, his empty eyes boring into her beautiful green ones, and his expression subtly lightened. "Yes, I'm alright, don't worry about me." he placed his large hand over her her much smaller and delicate one. "For a fighter, you have very soft skin. It would be a shame if you got hurt." with one finger placed under her chin, he rose her face up. She was as beautiful as always, he thought, and without a second word, he left to the shop, leaving Kisara very much confused.

Meanwhile, Koga used the Indestructible, risking the Rakshasa's Palm rotation and punching Koga's face hard enough - He finally realised that the rotation is tearing apart not only the muscles, but the bones and nerves also. Poor Adam, taking the brunt of that. Even Nikaido, years ago. Thank goodness Master Gensai fought him in the next round and put him to respect, otherwise, who knows how many more people he would have almost killed.  Ryuki got in a low stance before leaping up with two Air Rending Gaoh Style techniques in a row aimed at Koga's head - He combined the Gaoh style with the Koei style again, what a monster; He did the same with the Blink and the Earth-Crouching Dragon. Koga managed to land a beautiful straight to his face, sensing Ryuki fall to the ground, but he got back on his feet right away. 

Koga used the Flame Kata - Raging Fire Dash, grabbing Ryuki in a low stance, and though he tried to pull the Rakshasa's Palm move twice on him, it didn't work. Koga easily figured out the spin goes from below the elbow down. He's got him all figured out. Ryuki used the Armor Clad, a technique similar to the Indestructible, to which Koga punched with with Ironbreak - Though in a twist of events, Gaoh used Swift foot, hitting Koga's torso with Setsuna's move, catching him off guard; Thankfully, the silver haired young man managed a semi-perfect Indestructible before he could get any real damage to his body.

Whatever conclusion both of them reached was unknown, for they engaged in an outright slugfest, using Armor clad and Indestructible. Koga combined the Iron Breaker with the Raging Fire, lunging at Ryuki with mad speed and strength, breaking through his defenses, sending him flying - But he went on ahead once again, smashing him with a Flashing Steel, landing a clean hit - Though his fists were massively bleeding. Ohma must be pretty pissed off that Koga hurt himself by using techniques blindly without thinking.

Who'd have thought that Ryuki would be beaten by his best friend, using his infamous Earth-Crouching Dragon uppercut strike on himself, the person he relied on the most, knocking him out instantly? Narushima Koga advances to the finals. As Kisara got up from her seat and walked towards the arena, she encountered Jackie, as if he was looking for her. He didn't bring her something to either drink or eat - In fact, he seemed to have bought nothing at all. Was he not returning to the others? Was he in a rush to leave?

"I need to leave soon." Jackie said, his hands in the pockets. "I'll look for you after you win this to say goodbye. That's what friends do, right?" Though a little clumsy, Kisara smiled at the nice thought. "Of course. I hope my match will impress you a bit more than the last one." she said, before taking his hands in her own. "But, Jackie - Are you sure you're alright? You seem really upset. Like - Really. Is something the matter?" Jackie looked down at her, squeezing her hands softly, but his expression didn't change. He looked as bored as always. "I'm fine. Worry about your match. In fact, that's why I came to find you. I thought of a way to evade any injury." Jackie said, gently taking his hands out of her hold and rummaging in the pocket of his jacket. "You said that boy knows your style, and you knows his. The solution is simple. Do what you do best." the ghost of a smile touched his handsome features. "Dance." "Dance?" the girl rose a questioning eyebrow, earning a nod from the man. "You've shown everything in fights, except your dancing. Wushu can be mastered through dancing. That boy is injured enough for you to be able to pull off a quick win." he noted, taking out a beautiful golden jade pin, ornate with flowers, and put it in her velvety carmine hair. "Achieve victory." he said in a more stern voice, turning around to leave. "And never fight again."

Kisara had no clue what happened, nor could she understand the peculiarity of her interaction with Jackie. Not only was he acting weird, but was also being overly familiar, speaking as though they knew each other for ages. But that accessory was very pretty and seemed veritable - She wasn't going to throw away a gift. Regardless, she had a match to win. She walked into the ring, and saw Wakatsuki standing next to Jerry and Sayaka at the commentator's table. "Thank you for being with us, Wakatsuki! Can you tell us what to look out for in this match?" Jerry spoke. "Well, if you ask me, Kisara's going to be a force to be reckoned with. I've fought her before, and she gave me a run for my money. That's not to say it's a sure win. Narushima's style is versatile, witty and strong." Kisara wanted to chuckle at his comment, especially as Koga was in such a battered state. The two stepped close enough to fist bump and grin at each other. "Let's do this, Kisara!" Koga said, pumped up. "Yeah, let's enjoy this fight." she stepped backwards towards her spot. "You should know by now though, I'm more of an expert in the Niko style than you can imagine." she chuckled, taking the graceful stance of a dancer, while Koga took the usual stance.

Dance - Jackie said. Alright then, let's dance for the Emperor. She smiled gracefully, knowing that her husband was watching, and as soon as the referee yelled the beginning of the fight, Kisara hummed the melody of the Lanling Prince in Battle song, performing every move that the beautiful concubine in that movie did. Though she hadn't a mask or a weapon to signify the duality of the prince, nor the war he was fighting, she twirled beautifully towards Koga, evading with ease his hits, and with the elegance of a swan, her palms struck him hard, making him reel backwards. There was not a single hit that Koga could aim - He felt as though he was fighting mist, or even the flowing water - Yet when she kicked him, she hit harder than a hurricane.

"Sorry, kid." Kisara apologised to Koga as she twirled, striking him hard in the face with an open palm hit, before doing a few pirouettes towards him, grabbing him by the chin, dragging him forwards. She then took his wrist, ducking behind him and kneeing him in the liver from behind, before twirling in front of him again, pulling him by the hand and doing a backflip, kneeing him in the diaphragm again, and graciously landing on her feet to deliver her last hit, her finishing strike: The Dragon Shot.

Koga was unconscious on the ground. "THE QUEEN OF THE KENGAN MATCHES STRIKES AGAIN! KISARA WINS!" the winner did a few beautiful moves as courtesy to the cheering audience. To think she'd actually win a tournament, isn't that hilarious? She sure had a ton of good luck. Was it an auspicious day or what?  Ah, she's beat. She just wants to go home and cuddle Ohma to sleep.

She skipped out of the arena, looking for her husband. She found him, along with some others, who congratulated her. Jackie was leaning on the wall, but he came over just as Ohma pulled her in a kiss. "Well done. You fought well." the foreigner spoke in a low voice. "Now stop fighting." not only her, but Ohma and some others who weren't too drunk, or too engulfed in conversations looked at him confused. "It's a man's job to protect his woman. You had your fun. Now stay safe." "If Kisara wants to continue fighting, she will. She doesn't need anyone's protection." Ohma defended his wife's tenacity and resolve. "My wife will do whatever she wants." Jackie shared a short exchange of looks with Ohma, before his gaze fell on Kisara for the last time. Unexpectedly, he spoke one last phrase, in his mother tongue, before leaving. "Zàijiàn​​​​​​​. Wǒ Qīn'ài de Húxiān Huánghòu." Kisara gasped, her eyes wide open, and her mouth agape. "What'd he say?" Yamashita asked, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. "I have no clue. What language was that anyway?" Ohma grunted, furrowing his brows slightly. "I think it was Chinese." the manager replied. "Kisara, did you understand what he said?" she nodded her head. "You have a weird look on your face. Did he threaten you?" "No... On the contrary." she muttered, pulling away from Ohma. "Find me outside in ten minutes, okay? I need to seek some answers." they needn't ask for words - They understood each other through looks alone. 

Kisara ran after Jackie, all the way outside. She spotted his messy blond hair and she grabbed him by the elbow, stopping him from advancing further away. He hadn't turned around to face her though. "Why did you say that to me?" Kisara asked. "I don't know Chinese very well, but I can tell simple words like that." she gulped. "Farewell, my beloved Fox Empress. That's what you said, isn't it? Why did you say that to me?"

"Because that's what you've always been." he answered so nonchalantly, but somehow, Kisara felt scared like never before. She never once felt any kind of malice from Jackie - Why now? Why does she feel in danger, but also... Safe? That made no sense whatsoever. "Jackie. Do you... Know me?" she asked, feeling a shiver down her spine. "Jackie. Jackie... That's not your name, isn't it?" she bit her lip. "Jackie. Are you... Are you the 'Connector'?" The silence from the one calling himself Jackie was eerie and dangerous like nothing she's ever experienced before. "You've always been too smart for your own good. Your wisdom was wasted on a woman. Nobody listened to you." a painful sense of dread froze her heart. "They should have listened to you." Confused but also creeped out, Kisara took the pin out of her hair and analysed it. She might have known some words here and there, but she definitely couldn't read the symbols. "Am I a clone like Ohma and Ryuki, then? I couldn't be, could I? If Huisheng might have been taught and done for over a millennia... Now or then... I doubt I'd have had any worth to clone. So if that's not it, then... Then how do you know me?" "You are right. You weren't worth cloning, any more than anyone else, except for the Connector." Jackie spoke. "Are you a Buddhist?" Kisara was perplex at such a question, only to realise it made sense, in an odd way. "Are you trying to ask me if I believe in Samsara? Reincarnation?" he nodded his head. "I... I don't. Or rather, I didn't. With all this cloning and Huisheng going on, I... I'm not sure if I should let anything surprise me anymore." "I am many, though I am one. You are one, yet you are many." his phrase sounded more like a riddle than any answer. "Don't let them kill you again. Ruyi."

Kisara's eyes widened, shocked at the name she was given. "Are you trying to imply I'm Chinese?"  "Once, a Princess. Now, only by thinned blood, yet with no less of the grace." whether he knew the effect his words had on her, creeping her out like that. Or, perhaps he knew, for he took a step forward, ready to leave. "Wait - Jackie!" the man did not stop; Instead, he spoke a single word before vanishing through the crowd of people, as though he was a phantasm that she imagined. "Shen", he said. Was that his true name, then? Or, at least, the one she interacted with. "Kisara." someone placing a hand on her shoulder made the woman jump in her skin with a yelp of shock. "Easy now, it's me. You were zoning out." "Ohma." Kisara breathed out shakily. "Let's go home. I need to call Katahara." "Huh? What happened?" Ohma's eyes widened in shock as Kisara threw her arms around his torso, clinging tightly onto him. "I'm still trying to figure out what happened. Let me explain while we go back home. It's... A lot to take in."

Kisara recalled the dialog and interactions she had with the man whose name may or may not be Shen truly, and she even researched the symbols on the accessory - Princess Ruyi - It said. How scary. "I want to ask Katahara and Wu Xing if they know anything about Reincarnation. I want to know how does the Connector know me, and why would he bother going out of his way to get so familiar with me. I mean, he's the head of the Worm, right? He's supposed to stay hidden, yet he went out of his way to befriend Yamashita Kazuo and Joji. He didn't hide away from you and the others either." she laid on the bed in deep thought. "He told me not to let them kill me. He told me to stop fighting. He told me my smarts were wasted on me for being a woman, because nobody listens to women." Kisara suddenly shot up in a sitting position, turning to look at her husband. "It almost sounds like the story of the Lanling Prince and his wife. She begged him not to go to war, but he went anyway, so she followed after him. Instead, the prince ended up watching his wife get killed in front of him. As she lay dying in his arms, her blood splattered all over his mask. You remember that show, don't you? Almost a hundred episodes - Though you slept through most of it anyway."

"Aren't you overthinking it? I mean, it doesn't really matter in the end, does it? Whether incarnation is true or not, you aren't connected with your past selves like the Huisheng bastards are. If you don't remember anything, it doesn't affect you." he, too, got up, cupping her face. "Whatever you were in the past doesn't matter. Right now, you are Tokita Kisara, my wife. You're a fighter because you want to, and you did a ton of things thanks to your intelligence. You've got a bunch of friends and your whole life ahead of yourself. Who cares about that guy, anyway? Besides, he had every chance to kill you, but he didn't seem hostile to you, you said; On the contrary. So even better. If the Worm head doesn't want you dead, all the best for me, I won't have to worry too much." "Since when have you gotten so wise, anyway?" Kisara climbed in his lap, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I almost don't recognise you for the stupid gym rat you were a little ago." "Shut up, you dumbass bookworm. I'm just saying - Don't bother with that guy. As long as he ain't trying to harm you, he's not our concern yet. You're worrying too much. I bet you're overthinking yourself to death now with all sorts of bullshit." Kisara offered a wry smile, feeling guilty and busted.

"Of course, you are right. I can't help but think about what he said. About all this. If the Connector dates back over a thousand years ago, well - Confucianism was a big thing in China - But then why did he ask if I was a Buddhist? Thing is - There are so many contradictions about all this. I mean - Confucianism rejected the idea of reincarnation, saying a single life was enough. The Connector is cloning himself, thus, continuing to live and relive. It's like a continuous Samsara, in a weird way, with no Nirvana. Buddhism believes strongly in rebirth until one achieves nirvana." she rested her elbow on his shoulders. "Shen said my talents were wasted on me, because I was a woman. He called me an Empress. A Princess. If we were during a Confucianism time, then the Annalects speak that women must obey their father, husband and sons after the death of the husband. Likewise, they say if a woman doesn't hold the "four virtues" - chastity, modesty in speech, neatness of appearance, and good needlework and cooking, then they aren't worthy. Women aren't important. Which would make sense with what he said." she continued with her ridiculous overthinking. "When in comes to Buddhism, I think the Sutras and the Jataka tales tend to contradict themselves. I heard that Siddhartha Gautama called equality among men and women when it comes to attaining Spiritual Awakening, but at the same time, there are writings that say women aren't allowed to become Bodhisattva and must have a good karma to be reborn as a man to have any chance of attaining nirvana, because they are seen as polluted with menstruation, sexual intercourse, death and childbirth. By this accord, I am fated to keep this Samsara cycle for an eternity, because I've sinned for centuries, and by bad karma is punishing me in this cursed body, unable to achieve Enlightening." she hummed, her eyes narrowed a little. "But then, if I was a weak, useless woman, why would I be killed? Why would he care? He's the Connector, and he admitted I'm not worth cloning, like everyone else except for him - So why does he cling to my supposed reincarnation?"

"Are you done?" Ohma had the most done with life expression on his face. "For now, I think yes." she nodded casually. "Good, because I zoned out a while ago." he scoffed, pushing her on her back on the bed. "You speak too much and I don't understand jack shit. Didn't I tell you not to use use smart words cause I don't understand? Everything you said is just a bunch of unimportant thoughts that you have, that's all. What's the point in thinking about a past you never had, when you're living in the present? Confucius and Buddha, and whatever anyone else thinks or believes in - You don't believe in any of that shit, you said that countless of times. So if you don't care about that, why the hell would you get so deep into this? Forget it." Ohma towered down over her, his long hair draping over her face, tickling her into giggling. "That's it. That's the beautiful smile I wanted to see." he placed his hands over hers, intertwining their fingers together, squeezing lightly. "You won a tournament. You made yourself proud with your hard work. You were great out there. Why go out of your way to upset yourself? We're living in the present - Remember what we talked about on the island? We're creating our own lives. Together." Kisara smiled sweetly, feeling her eyes sting with emotion, small tears slowly escaping at the corners and streaming down. "You have no idea how much I love you, Ohma. There's no one in this world that could understand me like you do. I'm so lucky to have you in my life." he simply chuckled, leaning down to capture her sweet lips in a tender kiss. "I love you, Kisara."

Days passed since the tournament, and with that, Ryuki's departure back home, to his grandpa in the Inside. Problem was, the summer ended, and with it, so did the connection with the boy. He was nowhere to be found. Of course, everyone worried over him and together with Retsudo, they formed a rescue party, adding Himuro and Rei, who would be great additions.  Along with the manager, they gathered at Katahara's home, around a large map that depicted the map of the Inside based on satellite photography and statements from the residents. The GPS tracker placed on Ryuki had stopped responding around Rhoza district, so something must have happened around there. The change of the borders was always changing though, so they must have probably already shifted drastically.

Rei had been on a job there before, at the border of Rhoza - Apparently, Himuro was from there also originally. They say they keep putting up new buildings and apartments where there were roads the previous day, so it's a real mess to deal with. Ryuki was lost somewhere in the middle of the map, which was not a part of Rohza anymore, but a contested territory by all districts around. They were walking in the middle of a turf war. Not great. 

Yamashita Kazuo remembered Ohma mentioning having a villa in Shiki, and he though he must have travelled diagonally, from one end of the Inside, to the other. Of course, that wasn't the case, he wasn't suicidal - He went outside the borders, taking refuse in Shiki when things got to shit in Tokita.

While they were discussing a plan, Koga had left to see the border with the Inside, trying to convince himself and find his courage and resolve to join them in their venture in hell. He even got to see a Seki vs Naoya fight, to which he was told a lot of encouraging words - Finally, he was ready to go.

They were leaving on the morrow. Himuro would be leading them through Rohza and Rei would accompany them until they reached the disputed territory. They'll need a guide through the disputed territory though - Retsudo seemed to already have someone in mind though, so things were good. Clearly, he was in it to get more info on the Worm - Smart boy. He'll become a fantastic chairman, just like Katahara was.

Before they left, Kisara, Ohma and Koga went over to Masaki at Toyo corp to retrieve their reports on the Inside - Surveys made by his supposed father were made from two years prior and what not. "Are you sure you want to come?" Ohma turned to Kisara, checking one last time. "Of course. I want to rescue Ryuki as much as everyone. Besides - I want to stay by your side, remember? I don't want a sudden repeat of a few years ago. Someone has to keep you safe, right?" she winked at him playfully, holding his hand. "A'ight, Your Majesty, protect me." Ohma chuckled as they traversed the thick wall corridor that led to the Inside, a desolate place abandoned by God like no other.

It almost felt as if they weren't in Japan anymore, with bazaars and black markets everywhere, soldiers, refugees, merchants, vendors and everything else you'd think of. Weirdly enough, Ohma seemed to be grinning, reminiscing about Tokita Ward. Weirdo.  They went to search for some lodging for the night, in the biggest dump in the entire world - Kisara wanted to tear her hair apart from disgust, but she signed herself up for it. Well, at least she won't stay too long in this shithole - And Ohma led her and Koga to eat some pretty damn good ramen, though she didn't want to know what it was made of. He told Ohma that he wanted Koga to come over because the Niko style originated here, and he wants him to inherit Niko style wholly... But he said it in such a creepy way. "So if something happens to me..." he said, making both Koga and Kisara slam their hands on the table, protesting. "You're making it sound like you're dying!!" they both yelled at him. "You know about me and Ryuki, don't you? We're somebody's clones, and that somebody is after us. Anything could happen. That's why I wanna teach you what I learned from Niko, like I taught Kisara, while I still have the chance." Ohma's voice was so stern and somber that Kisara hit him in the head with the spoon. Hard. "If you even think about dying on me a second time, I'll never forgive you." she hissed at him. "I won't let him die, don't worry." the eerie voice of none other than Kiryu Setsuna made them all snap their gaze at him as he sat down next to Ohma - So close that he made him visibly uncomfortable. "Can you not make my husband cringe from how uncomfortable he is?" Kisara sighed, defeated. "Instead, tell us about Ryuki. I know you had your hand in making a killer out of him and losing his mind in the process."

"Ah, yes, we exterminated Worms together." he spoke so nonchalantly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Well, it sort of was, in a way - For them, at least. "FUCK YOU!" Koga howled, grabbing Setsuna by the neck of the shirt. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU MADE RYUKI LIKE THAT!" he continued shaking him violently. "Koga, calm down, you're attracting unwanted attention to us." Kisara coughed, looking around at the prying eyes. "Don't misunderstand me, Narushima. I never once ordered Ryuki to do anything." he said it was the same thing as what Ohma's doing, passing on his legacy to him. "Ryuki's going through a dilemma right now. He's between a rock and a hard place." "Is it about his grandpa's teachings, and Koga's resolve of not killing?" Kisara asked, earning an empty smile from the man. "You've got it right." he nodded. "I last saw him the day before he went back to the Inside. Ryuki said he'd come back right after that, but he's still not back yet - So I came to the Inside to look for him." "You said Mukaku's got safehouses all over the place?" Ohma asked, interested in Setsuna's knowledge. "Yeah, seems he made a lot of enemies. Ryuki said he had around twenty places and that's just as far as he knew. Ryuki's GPS tracker has stopped moving for the past few days, before stopping responding entirely." Setsuna explained simply, though he did seem a bit worried for his pupil also. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Kisara had to shove Koga back down on his seat to make him stop overreacting. "There's a good chance that Ryuki's found Gaoh Mukaku, and that he's in trouble." Setsuna got up from the table. "Wait, you think Ryuki's grandpa would hurt him?" the woman's eyes widened in realisation. Kiryu shrugged vaguely. "I'm going to look for Ryuki on my own. The Worm's in the Inside too. We need to find Mukaku before they do - Otherwise, they'll kill him." so it's the Worm they should be worried about. Then, could the Connector also...?

Early in the morning, while Himuro and Rei were up and ready for a high-level spar, a messenger came over with an invitation from the General, a soldier named Zhang who was buddy buddies with Himuro. To offer than a guide, one of them had to defeat one of his men - So Retsudo offered, getting in a Silat stance that Misasa would be proud of, and going forward for a few feint jabs - And when the enemy pulled out his knife, Retsu  took his small hand-knife, stomping on his foot and slashing the enemy well, hitting all his vitals. What a beast, and he's so young also! And so cocky, teasing the enemy into attacking blindly - He easily parried a punch with his elbow twice, before slicing at his face and destroying him. No wonder he's about the only one capable of coming between Ohma and Raian when they're fighting.

Kisara clapped at the cool young man. "That was awesome, Retsu, well done! Misasa would be so proud of you!" Ohma, also, praised and high-fived him.  Out of nowhere, this creepy, bandaged up guide appeared - So fast and silent that not even Rei sensed him. What a monster. He guided them through the district, towards the Underground,  all the way out, in the disputed territory. Somewhere along the lines, Rei and the guide stopped, defeating one of the White Worms who reported directly to the head.

They found an abandoned temple looking rather run down yet still standing. As they walked up to it, they got attacked by someone, the main target being Ohma. Damn it, not again, Kisara thought, realising that her husband was always the prime target for everyone in the world. Gaoh Mukaku was glaring at them, holding a meat cleaver and claiming they were Worms. Thankfully, Koga ended up explaining everything. "Wait, you mean you're not Worms?! You should've said so sooner!" "You jumped us before we could even say anything!!! What the fuck were we supposed to do, you old coot?!" speak about a short-temper, Koga. Was it the youth? Nah, Retsu was calm. Maybe a fire sign? "Are you sure this is our guy?" Himuro sweat dropped at the childishness of the old man. "Yeah... No doubt about it. This old man is Gaoh Mukaku." Retsudo's voice was low, sending a tremor down Kisara's spine. This Mukaku was creeping her out. "That's MR. Mukaku to you, whipper-snapper!" Mukaku growled at him. "Is that really him? Are we so sure that this isn't Okubo's grandpa?" Koga glared at the old man. "Who's this Okubo? And that sounds like a slight against this Okubo fella if I ever heard one." Mukaku glared back at the child. "Well, sorry for stopping by unannounced. See, we're here in the Inside looking for Ryuki." Ohma finally attracted the conversation in the right direction. "Ohh, you're friends of Ryuki's? Well, Ryuki was here. I can tell you that much. He dropped by here about a week ago. I've got a couple Safehouses in the Inside, so I reckon he had a tough time tracking me down." Mukaku explained. "Is Ryuki still here?" Ohma asked straight forward. "Nope, he ain't here no more. You just missed him." Kisara didn't believe a word he was saying. "Do you have any ideas of where Ryuki might've gone?" Retsu asked.

"You wouldn't happen to be Metsudo's grandson, would you?" Mukaku was trying to divert the conversation again. "I'm his youngest son. We need to take Ryuki into our protection as soon as possible." Retsu tried to return to the point. "Ohh, you're Metsudo's son, no wonder I saw the resemblance." he stroke his beard, only for his eyes to bulge and start screaming. "Wait, SON?! What kind of stallion IS he?!" Kisara groaned, slapping a hand over her face. "DON'T FUCKING CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Koga yelled at him, frustrated with his senile behaviour. "Hmm... Take him into your protection, eh? Well, he doesn't need any of that. I've trained him real good." he sat down, lighting up a pipe to smoke.  "Are you crazy?! The Worm's not messing around here!" Koga yelled again at him. "Oh, I know. Ryuki and I have been hard at work, exterminating the Work. I let Ryuki fight in the Kengan matches just so the Worm could find him. Ryuki is indispensable to the Worm, so I reckoned they'd send their top men after him. See - Ryuki's a clone of this So-Called Connector that the Worm Worships." Kisara felt the blood freeze in her veins, and she turned her head to look at her husband. She couldn't see the resemblance though. Was she just awful with faces? It wasn't wrong, she could never tell apart family members based on their common features.

Kisara felt a little lost in her own mind again - She was zoning out a little, thinking of what Mukaku might know that could make her piece together some lost puzzle pieces. He knows of the Connector - Does he know him personally? And if yes, could it be possible to know any of her past incarnations? Gah, she can't believe she fell so deep into this ridiculous theory that she doesn't even believe in. That man messed with her mind big time. Rei said he took out a White Worm - If the officer was here, could the Big Boss be here, also?

Mukaku began a story of his youth, from many decades ago when he got in the Inside and took some students in to teach and conquer the place. Though he took a whole crowd of students, only seven of them could keep up - The Seven Nikos. He also confirmed everyone's inkling that the Inside was created by the Worm - The Inside was a huge ass Gu Ritual chamber, like what Agito had to go through, poor man. Kisara couldn't help but shudder, imagining going through that at such a frail age. 

The Seven Nikos, however, began killing each other in the forest where they took a trip, until only two remained - Four, which was Ohma's Master, and Six, the Other Tokita Niko who taught Setsuna. Five and Six claim to had recently defected to the Worm, hence why they betrayed Mukaku - But who knows how true is that, really? Six used Five as an experiment anyway, so he was very much dead to this day. Mukaku continued to go around the country, destroying Worm Bases, until he found baby Ryuki, whom he adopted - Though he claims he didn't know he was the Connector's clone at the time.

With the story over, everyone went outside. Himuro and Ohma were discussing the story while Koga and Mukaku were chopping wood. Kisara stepped over to Retsudo, making a sneaky little plan, involving calling out Mukaku's veritable lies. At some point, Himuro got a got and left. When they were done, they walked over to the old man. "Ryuki has just been taken into our custody." Retsudo said with a straight face. Nothing ever betrayed his emotions. The shock of such a notion tricked Mukaku into turning his head in a direction - The direction where he was keeping Ryuki captive, no doubt. "You haven't killed him yet, I see." caught in his own lie. "His response just confirmed it, Ryuki's still somewhere on the premises, isn't he?" "I said he ain't HERE no more." the old man scoffed in annoyance. "Give it up, old man. It's too late." Ohma warned him. "Wh-What the hell are they talking about, gramps?! Is Ryuki really here?!" Koga screamed at him in disbelief. "I had my doubts about you, all along. From the moment you attacked Ohma, I had my doubts about you. I thought you attacked him because you mistook him for the Connector - But you didn't, did you? You tried to kill Ohma because you mistook him for Ryuki." Retsudo called him out. "Pesky little bugger. I knew I should've killed you when I had the chance." Mukaku growled menacingly. "Where is Ryuki? Tell us now." Ohma spoke sternly.  "I don't know." he shrugged, sitting on a log. "But you do, don't you, you filthy Worm?" Kisara smiled enigmatically. "Yes, look at me. Get a good look at me. You know me too, don't you? The Connector told me all about you. Ah - Or, maybe I should say - Shen told me about you?" the aggressive look in his face as she provoked him made her feel small and terrified, but she masked it well enough. "You have no idea how much I want to see your pretty face contorted with fear and agony as you die in that fucker's arms. Over and over again. I get off on that every time I remember." Kisara felt a shudder down her spine, and she stepped backwards, behind Ohma. Retsudo saved her from Mukaku's wrath, telling the story of the Gaoh Style hoax, and that Gaoh Mukaku actually never existed, but that he was a Remnant of Wowang - The last of the five of the Syndicate to keep alive. Mukaku accepted that he was found out eventually, but wouldn't tell them where Ryuki was. Instead, he got up, stepping menacingly towards them. "I don't think you'd want to fight us, Mukaku. It doesn't matter whether you're a Worm or not. Shen is here, looking for Ryuki as much as we do. And you know what? If he finds out you've cause me any harm, well - It won't end up well for you, will it?" Kisara tried to threaten him, hoping he'd be afraid - He wasn't. He smirked instead. Shit, she only made things worse. He took a weird stance, and so did Retsu and Ohma. "I don't think your words are going to scare him, Kisara. Stay back." Retsu warned her as him and Ohma cautiously took their own stances - Only for Koga to lunge headfirst like a dumbass. Lucky him, Ohma saved him before getting fatally struck by a demon wheel, whilst Retsu went on ahead, slashing away quickly with his knife, but it didn't work. With his Adamantine Kata, Mukaku threw an Ironbreaker punch towards Metsudo's son; Ohma was there to shield him with Indestructible, but the two got thrown away. It was only Kisara left standing.

"Oh shit." she wasn't sure what to do - If Ohma couldn't fight him, she had not even the slightest chance of touching him. Running, though, as good as it sounded... Where could she go? Back to the Underground, maybe? "You're not afraid of Shen, are you?" she sweatdropped, hoping to stall him. For a single second, she actually prayed for the Connector to come over and beat him to death for threatening her like this. "Afraid of him? Ha! I'm gonna rip him to shreds! But before I do that, I'm gonna kill you in front of him - His face watching you die is otherworldly! It's the sweetest revenge I've got!" he lunged at her, making Kisara squeak, terrified, and duck under his arm to run around and evade his hits. To think she'd use her dancing agility and flexibility to learn Wushu moves and save herself from a fucking behemoth. Insane. Absolutely insane.

She should have remained in her bed.

"Stop dancing around, Princess, it ain't gonna save you. I know your tricks - I've already seen you die four times in my life!" Kisara turned to look at him in shock - Four times? How old is he? And not only that, how young was she that she died and was reborn four fucking times?  "Hey, I know I'm pretty, but I don't wanna die young, okay? Gimme a break!" she yelped as she got caught by the end of her swishing long hair, and with a rough tug, Mukaku grabbed her and slammed her into the ground so hard that she thought her spine shattered to dust. Dust to Dust. Pulvis et Pulvis. From the dirt we are born, and to the dirt we return. Fuck this.  "You're just a woman. No matter how strong you are, you can't compare to me. Not even Shen Wulong could save you." as Kisara was struggling to breath through the pain, forcing her vision to unblur, she saw the outline of a fist coming down hard, aiming at her solar plexus. Despite the vertigo, she quickly rolled over and snatched her hair pin, using it as a small dagger which she slammed into his face, slashing it diagonally, blood splashing around - Though he didn't seem phased, the accessory was in shambles on the ground, drowning in her blood.

"I don't need Shen Wulong to save me! I only need Ohma! Fuck off away from me, you psycho! I've got nothing to do with any of this!" she managed to evade and run back to the group, stumbling over her feet and coughing blood in her palms. "Kisara, go with Retsudo. I'll hold him off for you." with a shared look between the two lovers, Kisara begrudgingly agreed and ran with Retsudo and Koga in the direction indicated by Himuro who had contacted them. "Well, at least he said The Connector's name. If that is even it." Kisara muttered, still in pain. 

They arrived at Himuro's location, at a small storehouse - Ryuki must be in the conspicuous cellar. As soon as they opened the doors and went down the stairs, the horrible stench of rot, death and decay made them all feel nauseous to hell. "What's that stench...?" Retsudo growled. "It's a deeply ingrained smell of rot. I doubt this was recent." Himuro noted. "I pity Ryuki if he's really here, having to endure this." Kisara hissed in disgust. "I think I'm gonna throw up." Koga almost hurled, but a single look up, and he saw his friend, shackled up and barely conscious. "You're kidding, right? Does that mean this smell is..." with the fire from the lighter, they saw countless bones, as if the whole cellar was made out of cadavers. Awful.

As Kisara checked for Ryuki's vitals, Mukaku led Ohma to the cellar, promising not to attack again. He affirmed that he was a member of the Wowang Syndicate, and it originated from the Worm. Wowang's leader, Dage, was an aide to the Head of the Worm. Dage went independent from the Worm on the Head's orders and formed a commando unit called Wowang. With this happening over 80 years prior, well - The old man was surely over a century old. No wonder he claims to have seen her die so many times. Wowang's purpose was to crush any organization opposing the Worm, and they were so strong that the leader got the ambition of a King and wanted to crush the Head. He began plotting to get rid of the Head of the Worm, and the absolute ruler of the Worm - The Connector, Shen Wulong.

"So Shen Wulong is the original we were copied from?" Ohma asked. "I'm not sure. You and Ryuki are almost like twins, but... You saw Shen yourself, he doesn't look all that much like you guys. Though maybe that's because he's blond and keeping his hair tied." Kisara thought out loud.  "Tell us more about that. Who is the Connector anyway, and why does the Worm follow him?" Retsudo asked the right questions. "Nobody knows how long he's been around." he continued speaking of an old tale about a safe living deep in the mountains of China since the age of myths. The locals believe him immortals, most likely because all of his descendants have taken the name of Shen Wulong. This sage presumably was mostly harmless and barely interacted with people, though on rare occasions, an 'Aberrant individual' emerged, he says. Around 1300 years ago, when the Connector declared war on the Worm, he defeated the then-Head and brought the Worm under his control. He then started a total war with the Wu clan, who were long-tine antagonists of the Worm. They say he beat them decisively. To think that the Worm and the Connector have been going for so many centuries insane - Nothing ever lasted this long.

"So did the Wu split up 1300 years ago because they lost to the Connector?" Ohma asked, pondering. "I don't know what he was thinking. He might've even thought he was bringing God's wrath on the people who annoyed him - So we began getting ready to kill a God." Mukaku continued to speak of an ace in the hole - The Advance, the Possessing Spirit, was based on this thing. They waited for the moment when the Connector was alone to ambush him in an alleyway, but with undeniable ease and grace, the Connector created an outright bloodbath. A one-sided massacre. He swatted down the Five Kings like flies. With Mukaku being the only survivor, he fled to Japan, changed his name and the whole things with the Nikos went on, and he even did Gu Rituals and what not. 

"You knew Ryuki was a clone, didn't you? That's why you took him in." Kisara pointed out. "Yeah, of course. The current Shen Wulong is a clone of his predecessor. The Worm's been engaging in cloning research, in order to make a more perfect 'Connector'. I attacked a Worm cloning research facility and destroyed it. For whatever reason, most attempts to clone Shen Wulong ended in failure. There haven't been any new clones since I destroyed that facility. Which means that Ryuki is the last existing clone. Funny, right? They'll want Ryuki back at any cost. That's why I sent Ryuki to the Kengan Association and had him announce his location to them. Thanks to him, I can kill Shen Wulong this time around! He's made the perfect bait!" though Mukaku was smug, it was Kisara's turn to laugh at him mockingly, all while Koga was so angry that he was trying to punch the old man. 

"You? Beat Shen? Ha! Prostrating King, you say - You're nothing but an old man who wants revenge, that's what you are. Shen's going to swipe the floor with you. Oh - Maybe it is that you get off on being beaten up by him, huh? Is that it?" she taunted him - He deserved it after the pain he caused her. "You little shit..." the man growled, glaring down at her. Ohma had to hold Koga back before he'd overheat from intense rage and bust his fists again.  "Grandpa... You... Were you just using me...?" Ryuki's betrayed voice made Kisara's heart weep. "Huh? Why else would I keep you around?" the disgust and indifference in his voice earned him a punch in the face from Kisara, who went then to boy to hold him in her arms as if he was her child. "The only reason you're still alive today is 'cause you're the clone of the Connector. That piece of shit wants you back no matter what. Then again, I find it hard to believe - How can a weakling like you be one of his clones, huh? What a failure the last clone turned out to be."

"Look at yourself. You've been alive for a century and still can't get anywhere near Shen's level. Pathetic." Kisara hissed at him harshly. "I understand. You're not my grandpa anymore." Ryuki spoke, defeated, feeling the woman's arms holding him in warm and loving embrace like he's never experienced in his entire life. As they helped the boy get out of the cellar, Ryuki told them how his grandpa punched him out of nowhere, imprisoning him in hopes of re-educating him. What a mad man. As they were discussing about what happened, Ohma spoke about wanting to get the hell away from that god-awful place. Though he's seen plenty of strong people, his power was unfathomable and he doesn't want anything to do with him ever again. "Oh, wait - Can you wait a second? I hair pin - It fell to the ground back at the temple. Do you mind if I go quickly to retrieve it?" Kisara stopped abruptly in her tracks. "Are you sure? You can get another. It's dangerous around that bastard." Ohma warned her, though he could see the conflict in her eyes. "You're not returning for the pin, are you?" "I have a weird feeling in my gut. Does that make sense?" Ohma sighed, nodding his head.  "Alright, fine. We'll wait here, but don't take long. If you're not back in 10, I'm coming over for you." Kisara grinned, kissing his cheek. "I'll back before 10." 

----

If only they knew that just as they were escaping, none other than Shen Wulong visited this damn fraud, looking as calm as ever. "Gaoh Mukaku. I want you to give 'Me' back." Shen ordered leisurely. "You nitwit, you're too late. I got rid of your clone a long time ago. My condolences!" Mukaku cackled at him tauntingly. "You're lying." Shen affirmed. "That's not the kind of man you were in my memories. You wouldn't get rid of a bargaining chip for no reason. You'd use any means at your disposal to survive. I remember you well. You used your comrades as shields just so you'd survive. I'm somewhat impressed by how attached to life you are."

"Haha, guess you really love me, huh? But now I'm just the fraud founder of a phony martial art. But what's wrong with being a fraud? I don't give a damn who I am, as long as I can kill you!" Mukaku laughed, bumping the ends of his arm guards. "Is that so?" Shen sighed, crouching to the ground and picking up the broken hair accessory from the ground. The ornaments on it were scattered in the blood, but it was nothing that couldn't be repaired. Though he wasn't one to get emotional, Shen felt rather pissed off. "You're going to die." he said, comparing himself to the immune system of a single large organism. "I can hear the earth telling me to eliminate you."

Mukaku thought he slashed in two at the Connector, he missed entirely without him even moving at all. He tried multiple tricks, activating booby traps planted throughout the temple, using swift assassination methods, but Shen threw him of with the flick of a single finger. "You're strong, I admit. I assume only a handful of the people close to me would be able to beat you." Mukaku hid inside the temple. "Hey, I haven't finished complimenting you yet. The first backhand punch was a good move. You drew my attention to your gauntlets while throwing iron pellets at me, and those were pretty powerful. They could kill a man if they landed right." he said nonchalantly, not bothering to move an inch. "Splintering the wall to blind me was a good move, too. Personally, I would've thrown in a few iron pellets in the splinters - If they landed, that's a few free hits." Mukaku was angry beyond belief. "You pretended you'd face me with martial arts only to use hidden weapons, duck and hide, sneak around and scheme. You were prepared for me, weren't you? I admire your tenacity."

Through the thin wall of the temple, Mukaku tried to impale Shen with a lance - The tip of it, of course, was pinched easily between his fingers. "Very meticulous. You should be long past your physical prime by now. I assume you're doping to make up for your declining muscles and reflexes, aren't you? It's a miracle that you're alive at your age." he spoke simply. "But that is one fortune that Ruyi was never blessed with." Mukaku could feel his heart stop in fear. He fucked up. "No, no, don't worry, it's not just for today, but for every time you hurt her, that I'm going to enjoy playing with you." Mukaku was unable to say a single thing, watching how easy it was for the Connector to pinch the blade away. "Ah, just so we're clear, I don't have Superman Syndrome. This isn't about power, it's about technique. One second thought, maybe even that's not the right word either. Principles? Yeah sounds right - All I'm doing is holding down the point of the force - Anyone can do that if they know how it works. No, wait, maybe Ruyi couldn't. I wouldn't want her to cut her delicate hands. She always gets papercuts." he hummed out of nowhere, as the long handle of the spear broke, and he smirked. "I'm so angry that I want to play with you a bit longer. I'll give you the chance to kill me." 

He's just getting more and more dangerous, Mukaku realised, freaking out - What the hell kind of monster is he anyway? "Hmm, will this do?" Shen hummed, cracking his fingers. "I've relocated my tendons and suppressed my muscle power output. I also limited my joints' range of motions. I brought my neuro-transmission speed down to the lowest setting and shut down some of my brain's circuits." Shen smiled, ready to destroy the man before him. "I've come down to your level. Let me enjoy this moment. Don't die yet, okay?" with that, Shen punched Mukaku the hell away from him.  Mukaku tried again to get up and attack, but was struck down with a simple arm sweep. "Too slow. Your body's awfully sluggish - You're almost not worth killing. Are these your senses in action? They must be a real handicap." Mukaku kicked a loose board from the ground, hitting Wulong in the chin and trying to beat him down into the ground with the Ironbreaker, only to get sent flying by the man who easily liberated himself. "Not bad, not bad at all, Mukaku." Shen smirked, wiping the blood off his face. "You wanna have another go? Or should I end this already?" he dug his hands in his pockets once again. "Hmm, I'm picking up an exceptional hatred from you - Shouldn't that be the other way around? I know what you've done today. But choice, really." he hummed, not twitching a single muscle. "Maybe you hate my former self for killing your comrades in Wowang? But I thought they were just total strangers to you." "Before that. Dig a little deeper into you memories." Mukaku struggled to speak between his panting. "Hmmm~?" after a few seconds of deep thinking and pondering, Wulong finally gasped theatrically with a lightbulb realisation. "You're that boy!" Mukaku's vendetta against Shen Wulong started in China, about 85 years ago.

The Connector once had three groups under his command - The Worm, the Westward Faction and the Dragon Tribe, who were descendants of Long Min, the Hero of the Chu Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn period. They were friends, sharing the same name of the dragon, yet Shen Wulong felt betrayed. Long Yi disagreed with the Worm research involving the cloning - Though he didn't mind the Huisheng reincarnations. Cloning is a violation of the natural order, a heresy.  Shen Wulong didn't want to kill his friend - All of the Dragon Tribe was already dead. Of course, the old friend wasn't going to retreat, that was the way of the general. He allowed Long Yi to attack while his back was turned, but just like the others, he fell dead, to the ground, with a single strike. In spite of his quick death, Long Yi managed to leave Wulong's first injury in years. The only man left standing was Long Xiu, a young warrior of 15 years old, who would later be known as Gaoh Mukaku. Long Xiu was Long Yi's grandson. It was then that the current Shen Wulong realised that the Wowang Syndicate conspired against him, all instigated by Mukaku.

"Yi was a good man, but he made one mistake - He didn't kill a bastard like you." Mukaku attacked him with the Long clan secret technique, Dragon's Maw Fist, but of course, it did nothing. "Awe, man, you're a real two-timer." "Oh shut up, fuck-wit!! I'd turn to the Gods and the Demons if they'd help me kill you!!" Mukaku growled at him. "Aaaaand you've lost me. I've had enough of this." Shen rolled his eyes, bored out of his mind with his repetitive antics. All of a sudden, a rustle was heard, and a few soft footsteps followed. "Hey, psycho geezer, did you steal my pin? I know I used it to slash your face, but - You've gotta hand it to me, it's your fault you attacked me! I just defended myself! ... My spine still hurts like hell though. If I need spine surgery because of you, I'll sue you for ten generations." Shen's eyes widened, and he turned his head to see the beautiful young woman struggling to step through the rubbles of the destroyed temple. As soon as she rose her head to look for the old man, she saw not only him, but Shen also - The shock and fright were evident on her face, and she looked like a deer surrounded by predators. "I... Should not have returned. I, uh... I-... I'll leave. Bye!" panicked, she tried to leave the temple immediately - She was, thankfully, just at the entrance, though even there, she unknowingly stepped on a trap that would be slashed her to fish-bite pieces, were it not for a strong force tackling her to the ground. "Sh-Shen...?" she gulped, feeling his strong arms keeping her safe and shielded from danger. Looking up, she saw the overly sharp piano wires that would have easily cut her in pieces as if she was a Happy Tree Friends character. "Oh my god, you psycho, what the hell is this?! You almost killed me - Again!" her body's reaction was to spring away from Wulong's arms and run the hell away - But he didn't let her.

"I can't believe my bait returned willingly. You thought yourself smart, but you died a fucking dumbass each and every time. It's your fault you died, you know? And his, for not protecting you." Mukaku put on a gas mask and readied his sword. "I almost shattered your spine, and you return for a hair pin? Ha! You deserve to die, woman." Kisara squeaked in fear as Mukaku, with incredible swiftness, brought down the sword, ready to slash her and Shen where they stood - But somehow, defying the laws of physics was a regular thing for the Connector, who kept her safe, held by one arm to his chest, his hand placed over her mouth and nose as if to prevent her from breathing, while the other hand caught the blade.  "Terrible decision, really." Shen glared at Mukaku. "Not even close." "Yeah, you're right - But this should do the trick!" Mukaku used Indestructible on the blade, cutting Wulong's hand into bleeding. "Shen - You're bleeding! Let go of the blade!" Kisara managed to speak through his fingers.

"Don't worry about me. Try to keep from breathing as much as you can. This cheap bastard flooded the room with Carbon Monoxide. It's just one thing after another." as instructed, Kisara picked up the handkerchief from her sleeve and pressed it to his face to help him with the breathing."Very kind of you - But I'm fine. I don't need to breathe. Use it for yourself, Ruyi." Shen told Mukaku that the man who killed his clan was his previous iteration, and some illogical shit about stopping the breathing process, to slow the aging process. He then easily got up, throwing away the sword and kicking him in the face. "Did you seriously think you could outdo us? How asinine." Shen used the sword to impale Mukaku's shoulder. "Running away? You don't have that privilege anymore. I told you - I've grown tired of you." "Are you sure you wanna kill me?! If I die, Ryuki dies too! I'm the only one who knows where he is! Are you just gonna let yourself die?!" Mukaku spat, desperate to live. "Ryuki's safe with us! Stop lying, you jerk!" Kisara soon started coughing - The Monoxide was beginning to take effect. "How come you're so obsessed over Ryuki anyway?! Ain't Tokita Ohma one of your clones too?! Why does it gotta be Ryuki?!" Mukaku was, no doubt, trying to prolong his suffering. "Hey, don't you dare bring my husband into this! He already died once, I don't need you getting him in another situation, you bastard!" Kisara hissed at him. "Besides - Don't act as if you ever cared for Ryuki! You're just an evil man. A traitor." "Oh man. Yan's gonna give me hell for everything I've done lately. Well - You're gonna be dead anyway, so there's no harm in telling you!" Shen sighed in realisation. "W-Wait! Don't say it! I don't want to die because of his curiosity!" the woman stepped backwards, gulping slightly. "...Don't worry. I don't think you'd get it, even if I told you." he smiled condescendingly down at Mukaku. "Tokita Ohma... Is not me." "HUH?!" Mukaku was on the ground, bleeding heavily. "Wait, hold the GODDAMN PHONE! What the hell are you talking about?! You can't expect me to believe that bullshit! I mean - Have you seen the guy?! He's the spitting image of Ryu...?!" Gaoh gasped loudly, as Shen was vibing with a dark, killing aura. "Yeah, I think you've figured it out by now." with an effortless swing of his wrist, Shen snapped Mukaku into pieces. "So die." Kisara had to jump back behind Shen, so all the blood wouldn't splatter on her. "Three times. You're the first person who's made three attempts on my life, and on Ruyi's. Looks like third time wasn't the charm, after all."

Shen turned around, throwing away the blade, looking down at the woman who looked uncomfortable and outright fearing him. "Ruyi." he called out, before quickly correcting himself. "No, sorry - You're called Kisara now, right? Kisara. I won't mistake it again." he gently put a finger under her chin, raising it up to make her look at him. "What do you see?" Though he could see the fear in her eyes, there was also deep confusion, and he couldn't blame her. There were far too many things to find out, in a single day, out of which few made sense. "I still don't think you look like Ohma at all." the comment earned a small huff of amusement from him. "So... Are you going to kill me, now that I know your secret about Ohma?" Shen didn't say anything - Instead, he retriever the pin from his pocket, along with all the broken accessories. "Did it save you?" Though Kisara had no idea why he'd change the subject like that, she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. I... I used your name to get a rise out of him, hoping he'd tell us where Ryuki was without a fight. But, uhm... He threatened to use me as bait and kill me in front of you. For the... Fifth time, he said. Or, uh... Maybe he just meant he knew I died four times during his life. I'm not sure. He was weird." he uncomfortably scratched the back of her neck. "I was weak. I couldn't evade his attacks and he grabbed me. Slammed be to the ground, tried to punch my guts out. Before he could though, I slashed away at his face and ran away." she hung her head down, feeling guilty looking at the beautiful yet broken accessory. "I'm sorry. I know it must have meant a lot for you, and I broke it." "A pin isn't worth more than your life, silly girl." he spoke with an amused tone. "I'll just get it repaired and return it. It's yours, not mine."

"But, Shen - It means nothing to me. Ruyi means nothing to me. Maybe you believe that it's my reincarnation, in the real sense, not the Huisheng sense - But even so, you're the only one who knows of Ruyi, and... All my supposed past selves." she explained softly. "That could be solved. I remember every incarnation you had - Or at least those who managed to live past a certain age. Unfortunately, there weren't all that many." Kisara looked down, feeling a weird pang of pain in her chest. "I have to go, Shen. I'm sorry." she looked into his eyes. "I will accept the pin, if you want me to have it... And I'll keep the secret to myself, even though I didn't understand it at all. I don't want to die, but more than that, I don't want Ohma, nor my friends to die." she sighed, extending her hand towards him. "But Shen - I am married. And I love Ohma more than I love life itself." Instead of looking or even emanating anger or any negative emotion, Shen smiled, placing the pin in her hand, closing it for her. "As long as you're happy."

A loud gasp of complete and utter shock resounded through the desolated temple, and a man who looked similar, but much prettier than Xia Ji was looking at the two with huge eyes. Realising he was someone strong and important to the Worm, Kisara instinctively tried to step away, only for her back to his Shen's.

"What's wrong, Yan? Cat got your tongue?" Shen asked, oblivious. "Oh, come on, gimme a break! How'd you get injured?!" this Yan crumbled to the ground, having a mental crisis. "Something weighing you down?" Shen asked, even more confused. "You are, you moron." Yan groaned pitifully. "U-Uhm... Mr. Yan?" Kisara spoke in a mousy voice. "Shen got injured because of me. Forgive me." she crouched to his level, putting a gentle hand on his arm and helping him up. "After all the shit he's pulled over the years, this is how he ends up. Pathetic." that man, the Other Tokita Niko, gruffed at Mukaku's corpse. "Oh no, what have you done?! What's with her?!" Yan's overreaction made her step back away from him again. "Uhm... I-I think I should get going." she stole a look at the Connector, seeking permission to get the hell away from there. "Yeah, sure. Take care." Kisara didn't need another word, she was already rushing away - Only for a man looking around her age or younger, with the obvious Kure eyes, blocked her exit, towering over her. A lankier man, just like him, trailed just behind. "Gilbert, what crawled up Yan's ass and died?" so this was Gilbert Wu. Kisara felt surrounded by what seemed to be the whole Small Council of the Connector, as if she was in Game of Thrones or something. She looked at Shen again, waiting for him to give the signal for Gilbert to step away from the exit so she could bolt off. "Ah, yeah - I know this really good jeweller for that pin. He should repair it in a week or so." "Lovely!" Kisara forced a smile. "I, uh -- See ya!" she bolted the hell away.

Thankfully, on the way back, she met Ohma who was already rushing her way. "No questions. Let's run the hell away. I'll tell you when we get out of the Inside. My brain is imploding." Ohma blinked, perplex, but questioned nothing. "Fine. Let's go."

Thankfully, they managed to get the hell away from this awful place, and while Retsu and Himuro took care of Ryuki, while Ohma, Kisara and Koga went to the manager's office. Here, they were greeted with open arms, and great news on TV - The Kengan Anti-Worm Alliance was going splendidly, and most of them, even the officers, were either killed or detained. The Worm Purge was going quickly. 

"Wait, is it over then?" Koga gasped, looking at the TV. "It's not." the woman gulped. "The Connector is alive. His subordinates are alive. The Other Tokita Niko is alive. Gilbert Wu is alive." she bit her lip hard. "Ohma, you said Gaoh Mukaku was a monster. The Monster is Shen Wulong. He toyed with Mukaku like he was a ragdoll. He outright destroyed him." "You met the Connector again?" Kisara nodded. "I don't know how I'm still alive, but by the Gods alive, there's nothing scarier than being surrounded by those guys." finally, she could sit down - Her legs felt like giving out. "We've got a lot of problems on our side - And, Ohma - Shen said something weird. I don't quite get the implication, but... He said... You are not HIS clone, but Ryuki is."  "Wait, but Ohma and Ryuki look the same, don't they?" Ohma, Kisara, Koga, Yamashita, Kaede and Rin all looked at each other with wide, scared eyes. 

Is there more than one Connector out there?!

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