the strongest disciple.

Kei entered a corridor where all the members of Yomi were gathered, each with their peculiar quirks. They were nothing like one would expect from the elite disciples of martial artists. They were in an abandoned church, and as Kei stretched his body, the weight in his movements and his intense expressions caught the attention of a few, especially a small girl with jet-black hair.

-It's been a long time since we last met. – Kanou Shou commented.

Kei took a seat, looking over at Kajima with his bronze eye patch, his challenging smile, and his imposing build. Everyone was gathered, prepared, and ready for battle. Any task they were assigned was there, vividly anticipated.

-"The wolf…" – Kanou said, opening his eyes. – Mmmm, we're going to go wild. Each of us will challenge thirty dojos on the outskirts of Tokyo. Of course, we'll take their banners and crush their hopes. These orders come from above, from Yami. We have to make ourselves known, showing the power of our martial arts. In a way, they've forgotten us, and it's time they remember. We'll leave some dojos that are at a higher level to be taken by certain martial arts masters. –

No one objected. Each sheet of paper contained numerous names, a long, perpendicular list. Kei knew that Boris's list was the longest—a massive one. They only needed to conquer a few dojos, but this was the most stringent order.

Kei looked over the dojos and didn't recognize any in particular. He wouldn't be foolish enough to take on Ryozanpaku. Only an idiot would face that dojo directly; the grand elder was a monster in every sense, surely capable of defeating any fighter in minutes with his abilities.

-We'll do what we must.– Kokin said, his spirit prevailing, eager to fight some of them.

Kani nodded; he was always rebellious.

-It's time for Yami to take control of the world. There are two reasons why we'll claim the insignias of the dojos. The first is to declare war on Ryozanpaku. The second is to show the world of martial arts that the war has begun. – Kanou Shou responded.

-Three are missing… well, it's understandable; this meeting is somewhat sudden." – Rachel Stanley remarked.

-The time has come. – Rachel's brother commented.

-I don't like this… why start a war in Japan? – said a masked man from the Cho Enshin organization of Chinese martial arts.

-Orders from Yami. The main reason is that Ryozanpaku is here, but Japan has also become flooded with martial artists from all over the world. It's said that there's no martial art that can't be learned in Japan. – Kanou replied, his eyes growing shrewd. – The bubble will burst as a consequence of amassing so many martial arts greedily. And this will reach the media.–

-I see… so basically, this is the perfect place to create a hell known worldwide. – Rachel commented.

-Bingo! Anyway, orders from above are absolute. – Kanou remarked.

…

-Mission complete. – Boris commented, facing a group of young men piled up, completely defeated.

-Just as we agreed, I'll raise the black flag. – said one of Boris's soldiers as Kei watched Boris's fight with a pleased look, following him. Kei had already taken down ten dojos that morning, meeting his quota.

-This makes 36 dojos now under Yami's control…– Boris commented.

-Who the hell are you? Ah, you use strange techniques. – said the Tai Kow Do dojo master.

-My name is Boris Ivanov. – roared the young man, the strongest Sambo user in Russia. Alexander's coarseness was a stark example of Boris's dominance over the others who followed behind him.

…

-So, how many insignias do you have? – Kanou asked, projecting an indelible appearance of a sweet, caring boy.

-Both Kei and Boris are still missing.– Rachel remarked.

…

Time passed.

-This makes 58. – Boris replied, throwing another young man to the ground.

-Captain, all the lower-ranking dojos have been taken. What should we do? – asked a young soldier, while Kei drank from a water bottle with a recovery nutrient.

-We'll start from the first one again, over and over. – Boris commented, with a crazed look, remembering there was one more dojo on the list. He looked at the time, realizing that Runna was likely home. He called his mother, asking her to go out for a couple of hours, to wait for him at a restaurant, and to order something. He then messaged the restaurant, letting them know he'd arrive later to place an order.

-Idiot, there's one more on the list. – Boris remarked, giving the soldier a hard slap.

-My apologies. – the soldier replied, rolling back up and standing at attention respectfully.

-We're almost done. Fine, let's head east! Retreat! – Boris commanded.

All the soldiers were eager as Kei watched them completely, observing how they were pursued.

-You're all so cheerful. – Kei commented, jogging happily behind Boris, even with his weights. They were close to arriving.

That same day, he received a message from Miu asking why he hadn't shown up to class, to which he replied that he would visit her. And now, in the afternoon, he was returning from seeing her. They arrived half an hour later; the last dojo mentioned by Sparma was the great Ryozanpaku. Seeing the vibrant wood, Kei felt like laughing. Everything was going just as he remembered in his mind.

-Among all of them, this one looks the oldest. What does it say? I know Japanese has katakana, hiragana, and kanji, but I can read kanji well.– Boris remarked.

,,,