Path of the Warrior

Lightning, thunder, flashes in the sky, gathering dark clouds...there can be only 1 reason for this phenomenon: Evidence of the presence of a divine existence.

No one would have expected the source of this to be Show, a Japanese fighter. Who would expect a human being to accomplish this feat?

The Burmese Bando fighter Nawarupa was filled with rage and dashed towards Show. They were fighting on a deserted grass patch near his village which was near the Thai-Burmese border though on the Burmese side. Nawarupa charged at the Japanese fighter with non-stop kicks and other blows that represented the pride of his nation.

However, Show dodged it effortlessly and took down Nawarupa in a heartbeat.

All this while, Nawarupa knew nothing apart from winning, so he could not accept it. He has been winning the same way all this while, so why should this be any different?

He didn't have a choice. He met his match. It's a big world outside his village. If he managed to defeat this Japanese man, he would be able to earn greater glory for his village.

Since this Japanese man employed the use of magical arts that influenced the forces of nature, it would not be unfair for him to even up the score with some magic. This was the magic he learned from his "Master". This may be his winning ticket.

Nawarupa chanted some spell to summon the demons of hell into his fingers, and his muscles started to build up instantaneously. He has used it for other purposes that were personal, but this was the first time he was using in an official match with a challenger.

It's not against the rules. This challenger has proven himself worthy of it. This time was different. It was time to show his trump card.

"Renmaba!" he chanted. He fired at Show a projectile of fire that was shaped like an evil dragon, sending Show into the sky.

"Yes! Did I win? You saw that? Serve you right!" he cheered in his heart.

Show came down from the sky, but on his feet.

"Damn! Why? Why the hell are you so strong? What the hell are you?" scolded Nawarupa.

And then, there was lightning, thunder, and the gathering of dark clouds.

This time, it was Show's turn to channel energy into the palms of his hands.

"Rensenba!" he chanted, and a ball of energy was released from his hand towards Nawarupa.

Nawarupa fell to the ground. The power of the "Renmaba" took a toll on his body.

Show proceeded towards Nawarupa, bent down, and extended a hand forward. Using his palm, he absorbed the Renma Kiryu or dark energy to neutralize it within his body.

Show then asked Nawarupa. "Who taught you this?"

Nawarupa answered, "My Master...he came to visit, and he taught me..."

"Who is he?" asked Show.

"Master...Kitaido"

Show got the shock of his life. His eyes widened and his mouth was slightly ajar.

"Mister…Mister…" the Burmese fighter shoke him.

Show came back to his senses. Then he said.

"Don't ever use this again...this may cost you your life!"

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I just want to get stronger…

These are the words you would hear Show utter every time he goes for a long walking trail across a country to train himself and find new opponents to challenge himself.

However, there was an underlying reason behind his relentless pursuit for strength.

Show is the sole heir to the Tennoushu Samurai clan which took on the role of defender of justice for Japan, and often worked together with international vigilante groups. It was part of his training to send him to the mountains to learn the Renreiken, or "Soul Purification Fist". He was scheduled to become the next Grand Master of the clan right after graduation, however, a disaster befell the family. Most of the family members were killed in a bomb raid by terrorists and his family's business took a tumble.

The identity of the terrorists was unknown and there was no way he could exact his revenge. The school of the Renreiken took him back in. However, it wasn't long before he had to leave the school because his teacher and other classmates were killed and only one of his seniors, Vasuki, had survived though fatally injured. Using whatever financial resources he had left, he nursed Vasuki back to health.

Vasuki had to go back to India for family reasons, so Show was left on his own. He went to Thailand and started from scratch, and he needed strong people to run his clan, so he was always seeking challengers and also trustworthy to run the show, also helping to seek justice for those who were unfairly treated.

On his road trip from Thailand to India he met Nawarupa while in Myanmar. Nawarupa wanted to challenge him. When Nawarupa was near him, he felt that something was amiss. That was why he accepted the challenge. That was when he knew that damage was done.

The person who killed his master and fellow classmates, was responsible.

If he taught the dark arts to one fighter, he could have done it to many others.

Many others would be harmed.

Now, he had two missions. One was to find the killer of his family members and the other was to find the one who murdered his teacher and classmates. They were different people, he was very sure.

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Unknown to Show, he was being watched. However, it wasn't his teacher's killer. It was the one who killed his family while he was training in the mountain. In Japan, clans consolidated their power either through business partnerships and Show's family was one of them. However, during the merger, the clan heads were assassinated in a bomb blast and Show was fortunate to be not at the area due to some slight deviation in plan. It was an inside job, but orchestrated by one of the partners who later took over Show's family business: Gunnanmon Makishima, of the Maxima Foundation.

Gunnanmon dons a greyish suit with a pair of stylish silvery shoulder pads and has a hairstyle that is permed to appear like 2 bull horns sticking out from the sides of his head, and he has a pair of vampire fangs, a mutation he developed after he underwent a ritual to become stronger by getting rid of his conscience.

After moving out of Japan due to market saturation and legal issues, Maxima Foundation operates mostly in Thailand and other countries in Indo China. Gunnanmon noticed that Show was still alive and he was determined to find him and kill him.

Gunnanmon was confident of finding a way to defeat Show, since he was also a competent fighter. Apart from his strength and genetic modifications, he also dabbled with the occult to get his power.

Gunnanmon had learned about a circle of power that was found at the area where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos intersect. After learning to harness the power of a legion of invisible spirits there which he called the "Asura Legion", he formed an "Asura Legion" spiritual army that would appear in physical form temporarily when he summoned them.

Sitting back on his office chair in his office in the heart of Bangkok swirling his glass of wine, he remembered fondly of the time he met the dark martial arts master who taught him this dangerous art while he was secretly training in a cave in the forest surrounded by all types of venomous creatures.

Gunnanmon mastered the skill to summon spirits, but Gunnanmon himself had the talent to make them materialize in physical form and make them obey his command. It turned out that in the past, he had already sold his soul in order to gain that power. He did that long ago in the pursuit of power in order to get out of the poverty rut he had no choice but to be born into…getting himself adopted by a mafia clan and plotting his way up by slowly killing the ones in power and proving himself to be capable to take over the clan.

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The presence of spirits…

Show could detect them. They were everywhere. The Renma Kiryu inside his veins reacted to it. It kept disturbing his peace as he trained by walking for miles from Yangon to India.

During one of his training sessions inside the forest near the border of China and India, he was carrying a rock on his back. Unknowingly the rock kept on becoming heavier. Little did he know that someone was sitting on top. With all his might, he defied gravity by applying more strength. However, that particular someone just kept increasing the downward force. However, the method of applying the force was unknown since Show was below the rock and unable to see what was above.

Eventually, it was the rock that could not take it, and it shattered.

Taking into consideration the possibility that someone or something may have been applying the force from above and that thing may start to exert its force in place of the shattered rock, he dodged and rolled away.

It was a man, an old man who stomped the ground where he formerly was positioned before he dodged. The stomp formed a crater in the ground.

"You nearly killed me", said Show.

"A user of the Renreiken will not be beaten so easily", said the man.

"Who are you?" Show asked.

It was an old man dressed in light greenish brown Chinese style outfit, black Chinese martial art shoes with white socks, and a black coloured belt.

"I am Li Yuan. A former acquaintance of your Master Kitaido. Now I'm his archnemesis."

"He's my archnemesis too. I'm looking for him," said Show.

"What's your name, boy?"

"Show Tennoushu."

"Ah, the remaining survivor of the Tennoushu Clan? I see," said Li Yuan. "My condolences for your loss," he added.

"Thanks, but I notice that you know a lot about me. I believe the purpose for looking for me is not just for condolences," said Show, starting to sound defensive.

"You're right," said Li Yuan. "My objective is to challenge Kitaido to a death match. I'm gravely ill. This is probably also the karma for the lives I have taken by making assassination my profession."

"How could you use Renreiken for murder", asked Show in dismay.

"Originally this skill was a tool for murder when it was developed before it involved into a pure art of improving health and strength," said Li Yuan. "I'm sorry to say this but if you face him now, you will become like him."

"What do you mean?" asked a curious Show.

"Fight me and you'll know," said Li Yuan.

Numerous blows were exchanged between Li Yuan and Show. However, neither party managed to hit the other as all blows were either dodged or blocked by the hands of the other party. The stalemate went on for a 1 or 2 hours. However, the surrounding area suffered. Animals ran away and trees were destroyed.

However, Show's stamina was weakening, though Li Yuan's was not. Li Yuan was an old man. However, he still had the energy of a young man and had retained his looks quite well, and was showing no sign of fatigue.

Li Yuan managed to hit Show.

Show fell to the ground, and suddenly heard a lot of voices. Angry voices. Voices in his head starting to drive him mad.

"Do you want to know what these are?" asked Li Yuan.

"What have you done? What are you, a sorcerer?" asked an angry Show while he struggled to tame the invisible beasts that were bugging him.

Li watched with keen interest to see how Show would handle this.

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Li Yuan was born shortly after the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the rule of China under the Kuomintang Party. In his early years, he was picked up by a master assassin who adopted him when he was begging in the streets and had to steal from street vendors who would beat him up for stealing from their stalls.

Li Yuan was a prodigy. He mastered the skills and defeated his master at the age of 18, and became a secret assassin for the Kuomintang Government. However, after some internal disagreements, he defected to the China Communist Party and contributed to helping them win the civil war in China.

After that, once his services were not needed in China, he was sent to Korea during the Korean War to help the communist side of the war, and later he also lent his services to the communist side during the Vietnam War. After the Vietnam War, he retired and resided in Ngu Hanh Son mountain to carry on training. However, he was not keen to take in disciples anymore since he would rather let the art die with him than to create more bloodshed with this art. He was determined to get rid of one of the factors trying to replicate this problem, which was Kitaido, who was implanting the Renma Kiryu into other people so that the killing art will be passed on even though the imparting of the skills are haphazard and incomplete.

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"Everyone else who used the art had to be killed, or else the tragedy will never end," Li Yuan said.

"How about yourself?" asked Show, while he was struggling with the demonic forces that were attacking him from within.

"I have prolonged my life long enough with this skill," Li Yuan said. "Once I sense that someone is the last practitioner of this skill, I will fight in a way to make sure we both die together. For the sins of our forefathers and that of ours, let's take this skill to hell together to receive judgement."

"I will not yield," said Show as he struggled to resist the spirits. As he strengthen his tolerance towards the formless monsters, they started to show weakness and slow down."

"This cannot be. That means you already have more than the normal amount of Renma Kiryu inside you, but yet you have not gone insane. What are you?" asked a distressed Li Yuan.

"My sole purpose is to become stronger, not to destroy but only to seek strength. Not for honour, fame, nor power. But first, I need to avenge my parents and my fellow schoolmates."

"All this while I thought only a pure man can resist this power. But now I realized that there is another kind. You possess more darkness in you than anyone else. That's why the demons failed to overcome you. You have a demon within you, but it's stronger than them. But sooner or later, this demon inside you will eat you. Make sure you don't become one before you defeat Kitaido, or else you will be the next Kitaido."

Right after Show left, Li Yuan started to vomit blood and fell to the ground.

Show managed to resist the power of the spirits. As a result, the spirits attacked him instead and his life was slowly being drained away.

No legacy to leave behind as the rest of his family are dead, Li Yuan's life ended in bitter failure. Apparently it was his karma for taking so many lives.

**********************************************

Not being aware of Li Yuan's death, Show crossed the border from Myanmar to India. He was stopped by armed militants who suspected he was a minority race rebel. They fired their guns at him but he punched a hole in the ground to create a forcefield that blocked the bullets. Continuing to maintain that shield around him, he ran forward and kicked the machine guns out of their hands and beat them up. Despite that, the militants were fearless. First, it was the first 20 men, after that it was another 50, and another 100.

Eventually all the militants were defeated. The nearby village wanted to thank him for his brave act, but he just disappeared to continue his journey. He didn't want a reward. All he wanted was to hone his skills and become stronger.

Along the way, a warrior came to challenge him. He was burly and hairy, and sporting only casual jeans and singlet. "Shall I have the honour of having a match with you," he asked.

"And who might you be," Show said.

"I am Aawoot, and I am you in another lifetime, and I happen to have the same skills as you have, and I am the embodiment of your goals," said Aawoot, the werewolf descendant.

They proceeded to an area in the forests on the mountains and started fighting and the impact of the blows started to tear the forest apart. Dangerous animals did not even dare approach them.

Eventually, Aawoot defeated Show. He told Show that he had a lot to learn, and he has to seek Vasuki's help to delve deeper into the knowledge of the power that he sought, which was the only way to overcome the greater evil that he would face.

Show was confused. "What greater evil?"

"What I mean is, you are part of a grander scheme of things that is much bigger than yourself. Besides getting stronger, stay humble and you will gain more and shine."