About fifteen years ago, a fragile-looking black-haired boy was running from a group of bullies that were chasing him since he left school a few minutes earlier.

It had been like this since ever. Always the same bullies, always the same scenario, always the same outcome.

He had spent a good portion of this childhood running, so running away from his chasers became something he grew used to doing. Still, they were a group and he was just one person.

Because of it, that time around they decided to have him surrounded. They had run for ten solid minutes before they finally reached the boy they were after.

Because of the trouble they gave him that particular day, the beating was considerably worse.

The boy could barely move. It took a stranger's help for him to go back home.

Too bad his family wasn't of no help whatsoever. To them, he basically didn't exist. Their attention belonged to his younger siblings, who had become the family's reason for pride. Despite this, the boy never hated them, knowing it wasn't their fault.

Regardless, humiliated and fragilized, the boy had almost given up all hope when he found out about a place where he could go to become stronger.

Once there, he opened Disarm's dojo's door and stepped in. The uncertainness in his eyes was visible as he looked to the other kids and teens training under the Master's tutelage.

Disarm noticed the boy's presence and welcomed him with a welcoming smile.

– Are you Mr. Aliodi? – The boy asked timidly. Disarm nodded.

– You can just call me Disarm. So, what do you want?

– I... – He stuttered a little before Disarm decided to pat his head.

– Breathe in, out, and spill whatever you're thinking about.

The boy did what he was told and managed to say what he wanted with some determination. – I want to become stronger, Master Disarm!

Now a grown-up man, Edgar Maelstorm was anything but the weak and insecure boy he once was. Perhaps still a bit too shy for his own good, but no more than that.

His hair had become a dark grey due to how intense his training schedule was. His deep blue, almost always half-closed eyes were intense despite looking tired half the time.

He was wearing a brown leather button jacket over a dark purple undershirt, heavy fabric dark brown pants, a black leather belt, and black boots. He also had a short colorless scarf around his neck.

Now standing before Yinsak, he crosses his arms. – I'm listening.

– Good. I'll just cut to the chase.

He then walks to the tent's entrance, grabs something near it from outside, and comes back in. It was Russ' laptop.

– What's that? – Edgar asks.

– A laptop, if that wasn't obvious enough. – Yinsak mocks him while opening it. – What's in it is what will interest you.

He then shows the screen to Edgar, who, after a minute, widens his eyes with shock.

– Is this real?!

– As real as you and me. – Yinsak then closes the laptop. – I'll go after more people to try and convince them to help, but not before getting an answer from you. I'll be honest here, out of the bunch I thought about, you're the strongest and most capable. Without you, things will be twice as hard at the very least.

– Who have you already contacted?

– Katrina, and I'm going after Saikyo, Ware, and Giovanni.

Edgar thinks hard about this with his eyes closed. This takes a while before Yinsak starts to slowly tap his foot against the ground with impatience.

– I don't have forever, you know.

He then opens his eyes again with a rather sad expression.

– I won't be able to help you with this one. I have something I need to get done with here, which is why I came here in the first place. Worse, I have no idea when it'll end.

Disappointed but not surprised, Yinsak sighs. – I figured something was fishy the second I noticed how easy it was to find you.

– Besides – Edgar points out. – , you'll have Saikyo's help and he is no pushover.

– Yeah, right. – Yinsak laughs once. – So much for "the world's strongest". Well, if you're not helping, I'm outta here.

Not wasting time, Yinsak leaves both monks and Edgar behind. After a short while, the Chief asks for the other monk to leave the tent, which he does with a bow.

– So, where did we stop?

– About your daughter, Tom. – Edgar says. – You were talking about how the mafia got their hands on her.

– Right, my precious Emilia. So, I'll have some of my men taking you to where their headquarters is but you'll be on your own from there.

– It'll be better this way. Anything else I should know?

The Chief shakes his head with a worried expression. – I'm counting on you, Mr. Maelstorm. Please, bring her back safe.

– I'll do my best, Tom. – Edgar finishes reassuringly.

Meanwhile, from outside the tent and concealed from anyone that mattered, Yinsak listened to the end part of their meeting with a grin.

It looks like he will have fun. And a lot of it.

Inside a comfortable-looking room filled with crimson velvet and firearms, ten heads could be counted. One of them, a tanned girl around nine with messy long honey blonde hair and messy clothes, was timidly sitting in a chair near a corner while the other nine, all men with colored suits, were discussing something.

– I still want to know why you thought kidnapping her was a good idea. – One of them says.

– And I want to know why you still question our boss' orders, you retarded. – Another one complains. – He could have you dead if he wanted, so you better-

– Shut up. – The only one wearing white says with authority and annoyance. – I don't want that old man's money because that's something he doesn't have. I want what his people, what he keeps secret from us.

– Could you at least tell us what that is? – One of them asks, to which the white suit man draws a pistol, pointing it at him. Everyone flinches.

– I could. Still want to know? – The man he was pointing the gun towards shakes his head in silence. The white suit man pockets his pistol again. – Good. Now, stop making stupid questions before I get you replaced.

– Still – Another man risks. – , I don't think he'll give what you want away just like that. It has been a month already.

– I know. The problem is the forest that covers our only way through to their village or else it would have already been mine. The abominations that live there are not something our mercenaries can or want to deal with, no matter how much I offer them.

– So we'll just stay here and wait like idiots?

Before he could get an answer, the door to the room is suddenly opened by a mobster with a desperate look to his face.

– What? – The white suit man asks.

– W-We're being attacked! – He shouts, causing eight from all nine men to move around with worried expressions.

– By who? – One of them asks.

– And does that matter? – The white suit mobster asks. – Load your guns and take care of them.

– Him. – The man near the door corrects him. – We're being attacked by just one man... It's... It's Yinsak Astarosa!

The worry in the men's faces is replaced by horror as they don't think twice about grabbing various kinds of guns from anywhere, mainly sub-machine guns.

Meanwhile, through the door and inside a casino, Yinsak was relentlessly beating the equivalent of an army of mobsters since everyone that wasn't one had already run to somewhere else. Half of them were armed, and those who weren't were using things such as pool sticks and broken bottles. Naturally, those were as good as nothing against someone like Yinsak.

In the meantime, a nearby jukebox was, rather comically, playing funky jazz as Yinsak dodges his way through gunshots with sidesteps, body twirls, and backflips.

At some point, he decides to kick a pool table's edge, flipping it sideways and using it as a makeshift shield. He then kicks it hard, sending it flying against a group of shooters, rendering them useless.

By now, anyone that was a real threat had been taken care of. That is until the eight men that were having their discussion earlier appears from a corridor, slamming its door open. Three of them don't waste time in aiming their guns and opening fire, but Yinsak blitzes with a dash to closer to them.

Without an opportunity to open fire without harming themselves, all of them decide to hit Yinsak with their guns.

The first three swings their guns as clubs, hitting each other in the process as Yinsak ducks to dodge. Using the opportunity, he quickly hits all of their guts with force. They all fall with pained faces as one of the remaining five tries to kick him. He counters the kick with one of his own, sending the man and two others flying back inside the corridor.

Now with more space and fewer people to get in the way, the final two open fire at a dangerously close range to Yinsak. Yinsak simply crouches and leaps forward with blinding speed, yanking both men's necks with his hands. He squeezes them with force, forcing them into dropping their guns to try and break free from his grasp, before knocking both their heads against each other, dropping them unconscious on the floor.

– Well, that was something. – Yinsak says while stretching.

– Don't you dare move from there, you punk!

The white suit mobster comes from a door at the end of the corridor with the girl with him. He had a gun pointed to her head.

– You won't pull the trigger, Lackster. – Yinsak casually says while pocketing his hands. No matter how fast he was, Lackster could always pull the trigger as soon as he noticed him doing any sudden move.

– Don't test me, Astarosa! I already had to deal with your family's shenanigans the last time they were here. I won't withstand yours as well.

– Oh, so they did come here. Interesting. – Yinsak points at him with a smirk. – Would you be so kind as to tell me what they came here to do?

– Don't push your luck, you pig! She might be valuable, but definitely replaceable, so I would watch my words if I were you.

The tension stays as it is for a few more seconds before Yinsak sighs. – A hand would come in, well, hand, you know?

– Who you're talking to?! – Lackster angrily asks before something appears from behind him from seemingly nowhere.

Edgar then karate chops his back neck, dropping him unconscious. Lackster both drops his gun and loses his grip on the Chief's daughter. She immediately uses the opportunity to run and hug Edgar's legs with a frightened face.

– I thought I have told you this wasn't your business. – Edgar says rather annoyed. Yinsak shrugs.

– I wanted something to keep myself busy. Taking down this town's mafia proved to be quite challenging, actually. – He twists his shoulder with a hand over it by spinning his arm.

– That or you're growing old. Regardless, what do you think will happen to the people from here because of your stunt?

– Maybe. And who cares? In any case, now that I helped you, you have to help me.

Edgar sighs loudly. – You're impossible.

– Dad! – The girl the "duo" rescued runs to Tom's arms with watery eyes, an expression the Chief also had. The entire village was clapping with joy at the sight.

– I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay what you two did for me. – The Chief says while still hugging his daughter. – You have our deepest gratitude.

Yinsak closes his eyes while poking inside his ear with his finger. A satisfied smile was on his face.

– What did the mafia want with you, anyway? – Edgar asks. Tom looks around rather anxiously.

– That's a secret, even among most of my people. I'd like to keep things this way.

– Now I'm curious. – Yinsak says. – No hints or anything?

– I'm really sorry.

– Whatever. I already got what I came here for, anyway. – He then looks at Edgar with a smirk. – Right?

– I'll think about that.

– In any case, give me your number so I can call you when I'm done with the others.

They share their numbers before Yinsak waves his fingers. As soon as he turns around, he feels someone small hugging his legs. When he looks down, he sees Tom's daughter smiling at him.

– Thank you, Mr. Astarosa! When I grow up, I want to be strong like you so I can protect my family!

Yinsak does a tired face for a few seconds while remembering something before messing with her hair while smiling. She then goes back to near her father.

Once Yinsak climbs his way back to town, he sees Russ eating a hotdog while leaning against his pickup truck.

– Let's get going. – Yinsak addresses him. – Next is Saikyo.