Chapter 61

*Bang Bang Bang Bang BOOM*

Explosions broke out from the head-on collision between boxing gloves and a heavy bag.

“Tuck your neck in more when you go for that liver hook… But wow, your left is just as good as your right. Can you write with both hands?”

Wheezing, Takumi shook off the sweat on his forehead:

“Actually yes. But how do I get my strikes going faster?”

“That`s impressive. Where do you keep finding these geniuses Yuki? Nishimura-kun is less experienced than Sougo, but he learns much faster. Your muscle memory is almost instant.” Kirishima`s brother said.

“The less distance they have to travel, the faster they reach their targets. Also make your punches more snappy, it`ll be harder to see, thus harder to react to.” The girl joyfully explained.

Takumi nodded, and resumed training.

Before he went home, Takumi handed Kirishima`s brother an envelope:

“Here is this month`s. Thanks for taking care of me, dojo master.”

“Domo. Don`t mention it.”

“Nee, but why do you want to learn Muay all of a sudden?” Kirishima butted in.

Pausing for a second, he replied:

“You might know really soon, or might never know, I guess?”

“Don`t answer like a douche! Hey!” The girl squinted at Takumi`s gradually shrinking back. Into the neon-lit streets, he walked.

The night sky, glazed with a star-patterned sheet of a deep blue hue, pointed a million shining eyes down upon Takumi, staring. He felt uneasy, like when deadlines were at his neck, but a hundred times worse.

(Ignore it. You have a good life ahead and your mother to take care of)

“But how is this okay? I know, and I`ve even seen it! How can I ever forget?”

(Think of it as animals copulating. Nothing new, nothing different)

“Right now she is probably being raped and totured. She is suffering!”

His brain ceased all the images and memories containing any trace of Ichiko Ayase. Takumi painfully grabbed his right eye as his face twisted into a frown, teeth grinding.

“I need to do something!”

(Do what?)

Takumi eyes busted open, and so did the door to his house. Some passerby was too busy staring at the phone to notice a handsome shounen screaming at himself in front of his house. Takumi took a deep breath, went inside, showered, and sat alone in his dimly lit kitchen.

Sharpening knives has always been Takumi favorite pastime. It puts his mind at ease, but not this time.

(You have only learned Muay Thai a little more than a week. You have a knife and an airsoft pistol. Who do you think you are, Kyle Reed?)

(The only person that Kyle ever wanted you to fight is yourself, Takumi. Your dad ended up dead, and you`re sure as hell he doesn`t want you to do the same) His brain used English.

The edge of the army knife glided up and down on the whetstone.

(Your level isn`t even close to that of a soldier, let alone an American lieutenant working in the recon business. If someone that good can fail, what do you think will happen to you? Do you want to leave your all mom alone?) It continued, in English.

“Kyoya would not think the same! He would take action at once!”

(That is a psycho you`re talking about. People are intimidated by someone who is strong, but terrified of someone that`s crazy. That fucker has some loose screws and yet he`s as skillful as one can get)

“Don`t talk of Kyoya like that! He`s my friend!”

(Friend? Don`t you mean relationship? Using a tool like him is just like holding a knife by its edge. Either get away from him or make him dispose of himself)

The knife crash landed onto the wooden board with tremendous force, sticking the tip an inch deep into it, effectively splitting the thing in two.

“You fucking went too far there motherfucker. I`ve had enough of your bullshit now. My blood is boiling so hot that I feel it in my bone! I`m fucking furious. Those fucking yakuzas are good as dead now.” He grumbled, in English.

(Talk is petty)

“Just you wait.”

The next day, Kirishima`s family went on a vacation, so Takumi trained at the park.

Not many were there this early. Spring break has yet to end, and most Japanese need a break from work. Takumi made sure he was alone, before proceeding.

Sunlight reflected off the army knife on his hand. The steel started flashing, as Takumi entered a trance of shadow boxing.

(Against one guy…)

A push kick shoved the madly slashing opponent away, as he instantly shifted into a side stance to safely close in. His elbow flicked open, delivering the knife through its victim`s throat.

(Two guy…)

Immediately, Takumi drew his gun. The pellet went straight into the eye of his imaginary foe. The other one took a kick in the crotch before Takumi jammed the knife in the guy`s throat. With haste, he shoved the corpse onto the guy before, pulling the knife out so that blood will impair his vision. The poor thug had his own knife stuck in the dead body, and got shanked until he dropped dead.

Yet no matter how many times he tried, the third guy will always be checkmate. Fighting someone with a knife is dangerous as it is, but multiple people wielding weapons against you would mean certain death.

“And I can`t even imagine how a guy who is adept at knives will fight…”

(How about fighting me then? You`ve wasted an ample amount of time on knife fighting with Kyle)

Takumi closed his eyes, and a mirage of himself appeared. The surroundings were copied into his mind, and his other self had similar weaponry.

Both stood still. Suddenly, one of them reached for the gun. With lightning speed, Takumi rolled sideways, clawing up the ground to throw at his opponent. The other Takumi didn`t flinch, instead he charged in with the knife.

Still on the ground, Takumi kicked upwards with both legs. The mirage moved his chin away, dodging the kick by the split of a hair, but had his right wrist struck and broken. That made him drop the gun, so Takumi unloaded a barrage of pellets, covering himself as he tried to stand up straight. His pupils abruptly expanded.

Without warning, a glint of silver flashed at his eyes, and the next thing he knew was that a knife has stuck itself into his forehead. Both of them clapped in realization.

“That`s it!”

(If you can`t afford a real gun, use throwing knives)

“I would need to buy some kunais and shurikens then.”

(Fucking weeab) His brain laughed, in English.

Takumi kept on training by throwing his oversized knife at a tree, aiming for instantly stunning spots like the eyes and nose.

“Hey! You`re hurting the tree! People don`t plant trees for you to throw stupidly huge knives at!”

A female stepped up to him. Three followed. They were holding baseball bats and steel pipes, with one wearing a medical mask.

“Eh… I`m sorry. I`ll stop now.”

“Who says you can get away that easily!? You`re messing around in my turf!”

“A douche like you needs some beating up! Sukeban! Allow me to teach this cunt a lesson!” The medical-masked girl yelled with excitement.

“Sukeban!?”