After the dreaded walk towards the unknown fate ahead, Miyuki would be left with no choice other than be greeted by their patiently waiting boss. He was in a spare empty room in the back of the shelter with eight other guys and girls lounged around him. The boss was reclining in a bean bag chair, some of the members were casually sitting with each other and talking about their day, and... oddly... no one was glaring daggers at Miyuki. Actually, when the boss first took sight of her, he gleefully greeted her himself!

The boss was... him!

"It-it's you!" Miyuki said in shock. "Y-you're the boss?!"

"The Boss?!" the boy exclaimed, finding amusement in the label. He then turned to the two that brought Miyuki in. "Hey, didn't I say not to refer to me as such? The joke was funny the first time, but when you go around telling the world that you know 'the boss's identity when you don't, it starts to get really irritating, yeah?"

The first guy would hang his head low and sigh, quick to apologize to the boy. The second would do the same.

"Now go get some lunch, it's free. It's a chicken sandwich this time with a side of rice and veggies." The boy said dismissively, then reaching his hand out for Miyuki to shake. "I never got to tell you my name. I'm Sora, Sora Kaze."

Miyuki looked at his hand awkwardly, then tilted her head. "D-do you want my pants or something?"

Sora, in disbelief, stared at Miyuki. After a few moments of realization, he pulled his hand back and gently laughed. "Y-yeaaaah no, apologies"

"N-no, it's fine! I don't really get it though. What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's a handshake, we have a lot of foreigners coming through New Tako and they're more familiar with that kind of gesture, so I've kinda gotten adapted to it"

"Oh... so wait, am I supposed to grab your hand and shake it?"

"Y-yeah, that's the premise of it. We can work on it later, but that's besides the point, heh heh." He'd say before immediately switched the subject. "So I heard you were dumpster diving in the neighbor's trash bin?"

Sekken would sudden wheeze, before blurting out loudly "PFFFFHAHAAHAHAA, ME? DUMPSTER DIVING?! WHY WOULD I DO THAT?! HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAA–aaaaaaaaa..." The yell would end up drawing the attention of everyone in the room, who then stared at her in silence, leaving Miyuki feeling embarrassed. "...yeah, I was." Miyuki quietly admitted, her face turning red.

"What were you doing in there? Trash day was yesterday, so of course it was empty of any food you'd want."

"Eww! Wait, so people actually eat from the trash can?! That's totally gross!" Miyuki asked, gagging a little.

"Miyuki, are you feeling okay?" Sora asked, then reaching to place a hand on her forehead. "You're acting really strange all of a sudden."

"M-me? Strange?" Miyuki anxiously questioned while backing up a little to get some space.

"Yeah, I don't recall you expressing yourself like this when I first met you.. I'm glad you're willing to open up though."

"E-eheh, Uh, Yeah! I-I wish I could say I'm opening up, but really, I'm on the verge of having an all out panic attack!" She frantically exclaimed, then placed her jittery hand on the doorknob to try and exit the room.

The boy wore a worried expression on his face, who then grabbed on her shoulder gently and tried to pull her back inside. "Sekken, please. Calm down! You're gonna blow a nerve and get someone hurt if you panic. There's nothing to panic about, right? What's the matter? Please talk to me."

Miyuki spun around and faced Sora in the eyes... or would, if her eyes weren't sealed shut from the tense muscles in her body. Sora tried giving her a small shake.

"Sekken, calm down..." he slowly said in a calm tone. Then he would raise his hand up to Miyuki's forehead and feel it. "You're hot."

"Thanks-! I mean– I don't swing that way"

"No- not that hot! I mean your forehead is like touching a stove top! Are you sure you're fine?" Sora then removed his hand from her forehead and then held it in front of her face. A second later a cold and easing breeze was blowing on her face. It was like turning the AC in a car on high and placing her face in front of it.

For about a minute Miyuki stood there in front of Sora's breeze, her muscles progressively becoming less tense. Her arms relaxed, her legs stopped shaking, her head stopped pounding, and Miyuki felt a little more at peace. The teen then opened her eyes... only greeted with the sight of a glowing hand. All of that calm she had suddenly achieved now went to waste, the teen quickly becoming panicked once more. "N-no way!"

" 'No way' what? O-oh, this?" Sora said in a casual tone, referring to his glowing hand.

"You have superpowers too?!"

"I guess you can say that, yeah. You know of Ki's existence already, then?" Sora implied with a smirk. "You said 'too', does that mean you have a power like ours?"

"Wait, 'ours'?!" Miyuki's head jerked left and right, scanning over every person in the room. She couldn't believe her ears. 'Ours'? Did that mean...

"Of course. Everyone here uses Ki, but I'm not sure if you do. If you don't, I can teach you."

"Teach me?" Miyuki repeated. That didn't sound right to her at all, you can be taught Ki? She only knew it as a power that was gained by drinking whatever was in that necklace Manaka had. There was more to this power than she had originally known, which she was about to figure out here. "I thought Ki could only be achieved by a necklace."

"A necklace? Wait, the necklace? The ones from I-35?!"

"Uhhh yeah. You know I-35... and you use Ki, does that mean..." Miyuki started to ask, Sora quickly catching on to what she was trying to imply and answering himself.

"No no no, I am not part of that traitorous mafia anymore." he answered with distaste. "Those backstabbers have gone ballistic, rogue even. They weren't ever supposed to get this crazy... To think I was part of them before..."

"I-I figured that was the case. But you left them?" Miyuki asked, then thinking back to their previous conversation. "...you look like you're miserable [...] I see. Mine were just as bad, you know?" What he said made much more sense now. Considering how unruly that gang is, he, a Ki user, had the audacity to abandon them? How did he manage that and still live? She was barely living through this gang when all she did was try to be friends with someone, but to actively be a powerful asset and then quit on them? Miyuki could only fear what he went through.

"I used to be a part of their elite guard team 'The Barricades', which served under Demone Stronzo–"

"PFFFAHAHAHAHA, DEMONE STRONZO?! WHAT KIND OF NAME IS THAT?!" Miyuki bursted out laughing at the name, but quickly quieted back down and lowered her head in embarrassment once more. "...sorry, you can continue."

"...anyway, I was a pretty good friend of Stronzo's. We both were close ever since he first ran Clan Dei Diavoli, which was supposed to be only a group of friends that liked to trade our stuff, until we introduced a monetary system at least. When Clan Dei Diavoli became I-35, the Barricades and the Truckers were introduced so things could be kept more 'orderly'. These editions made the gang run much more efficiently. Trade was increased, people were kept in line, and systems of operation were perfected. It was so successful that soon enough, everyone who joined this gang was guaranteed to become hundreds of thousands of yen richer by the end of their first semester. When masses of people joined, more discipline had to be laid down. The Barricades was forced to grow in strength to make sure traitors were silenced, rules were enforced, and the gang kept functioning under the noses of the authorities.

"Here is where Stronzo and I come in. Both of us gained Ki thanks to the power of the necklaces. The power was unimaginable, it felt like we had become a completely new entity than what we were before. While I saw it figuratively, Stronzo saw it literally. He was leading us and tasked with keeping the Barricades in line and making sure their tasks were completed.

"Stronzo's been leading for years, so naturally he's a charismatic and well spoken leader. He could charm anyone at a glance and figure out a way to get under their skin. Naturally, everyone else in the branch wanted to follow his lead and not question his morale. No one dared to speak up against him, especially considering his power is far beyond what anyone could imagine possible. Not even I, his best friend, wanted to speak against him out of fear.

"Before I knew it, Stronzo was beginning to see us Barricades as the superior branch to the rest of the gang. Every meeting he preached about how strong we as a group had become and that one day with our constant training, we would have the capacity to rule over all of Japan ourselves. He began to try and prove his point by torching houses of those he deemed 'untrustworthy', and not only doing it when 'The Boss' ordered. Everyday he delved further into his mad delusion of being invincible. His first days with the gang he only said he'd rule the world 'as a joke', but Ki actually has given him that confidence and capacity to do so now.

"One day when the Barricades met, he began to preach his maddest delusion yet: his belief that 'The Boss' of the gang is truly god incarnate. If they had the ability to grant anyone power and lead with 'an iron fist' with no rival, then their existence must be nothing short of the 'second coming' of a grand deity, and that sacrifices were necessary to 'satisfy' the 'god'.

"It was that day I decided enough was enough, so I called him out on how ridiculous he sounded. He did not like that, calling me 'a heretic' and 'has lost his way'. No matter how many times I tried to explain my points with him, everyone else seemed to support that power hungry bastard... so much so that I was ordered to be Stronzo's 'first sacrifice' and the rest of the Barricades followed through. That night when I came home, my house was torched to the ground with me inside. Thanks to my proficiency in Ki, however, I was able to narrowly escape with my life. Had I stalled a second later, I would have been crushed regardless of my strength."

"So you're running away from these Barricades because they want your head as a sacrifice?"

"Running away? No no, everyone here is in cahoots to tear down that delusion that Stronzo has spread. Everyone who joins us knows how to use Ki, just like everyone in the Barricades. Every day we train hard to make sure we can catch up to their levels. It's only a matter of time before they find us, so we're trying to get all of the help we can. We meet here every noon and workout, come up with plans, and recruit newcomers.

"These Barricades should not be taken lightly, they are the strongest beings in the world. If you want to be the strongest, you will have to be your strongest. What do you say, Miyuki?" Sora would say, then extend his hand out for another handshake. "We are all being hunted by these mass murderers who believe they have the right to decide who dies and who thrives. You have no right to fear anymore, because together we'll show them the power of rationality. It's those who are clear headed who deserve to conquer the land."

Miyuki looked at his hand strangely again. This time was different, however. Instead of being confused about the gesture, she was confused about his proposal. A former Barricade? A Ki user? 'Conquer the land'? How could she know to trust this guy? That's the problem: she couldn't know.

What would she do if she took it? He betrayed I-35, and being a thug, who is to say he won't backstab her? Would she really become stronger and have the ability to fight their common enemy? Was she just being played? If his intention was to 'conquer the land', then why should she be a part of that?

What if she didn't take it? These Barricades were still hunting for her. They still had Manaka. The police couldn't save her. Being on her own like she was now, who knows when her last days of life would come.

She could only question the possibilities of joining him, but there was no questioning about what would happen if she didn't. It was then Miyuki decided to make that sacrifice.

Miyuki shook Sora's hand.

"Sure, I'm in. Where do I start?"

Sora smiled with relief, then gestured to the door. "Brilliant! First, you should get some lunch. Tonight, meet me outside. We'll start your first training there."

Miyuki nodded. No matter how strongly she felt 'wrong' about joining this group, one thing was for sure: this was her second chance. It was either this, or end up as a helpless sacrifice to fuel an insane man's delusion.

-.-

Lunch was decent at best. It was comparable to the quality of a school cafeteria meal. The bun was tough and cold, the chicken patty was soggy and wet, the rice was slightly overcooked, and the veggies were raw. It wasn't something particularly five star-level, but it was good enough to live. Dinner was just the same quality, which was canned chicken and noodle soup and a slice of bread. Both of these meals shared a mutual level of disappointment to Miyuki's appetite, but she knew she had to endure this for a while. Though it was for a while, she knew at least it wouldn't be forever.

After dinner, Miyuki left the shelter. Sora had informed her during dinner that they were to meet once rush hour was over so they had plenty of space and privacy to do their exercises. By the time rush hour was over though, the sky had changed to a dark shade of navy. The evening sky was ready to fall into night, which meant that they would not only be working in private, but in total darkness too.

It was needless to say Miyuki was a little nervous by these conditions, but she already signed up for this, so there was no backing out. Having no jacket and clothed with only mid-thigh length shorts and a sports top, the goosebumps on her body were only growing as she entered further into the dark alleyways where Sora awaited her.

"Ahhhh, Miyuki! So glad you came"

"Y-yeah. It-it's a little cold, d-don't you think?" Miyuki shuddered, hugging her bare arms across her chest.

"You're right about that, it is pretty cold. But once we get started, you'll be a bit warmer. Do you seriously not have a jacket though?"

"N-no, I don't. I've kinda been stuck with my exercising stuff since Monday."

"Hmmmm, well, I guess that gives you a bit of a maneuverability advantage, doesn't it? With those little clothes on, you'll move well and look even better!" Sora said while he scanned Miyuki's attire from the top to the bottom, plastering a small grin.

Miyuki stared at Sora awkwardly, shaking her head in disapproval. "P-please stop..."

"Alright, alright." Sora sarcastically huffed, then backing away and starting to do some arm stretches, followed by some lunges. "You're not a ki user, right? You know of them though, how many have you encountered?"

"Four."

"Four?! Alright, then how many have you tried to fight?"

"One, really."

"One, okay! I'm surprised you even lived through that, people with Ki are far above people without. From my experience, people who first tap into their inner Ki are already reaching heights that would take any average person decades of disciplined training to reach. Anything after that, as long as they practice trying to produce more of that power, they can grow in strength to reach infinitely greater heights. The Barricades train their bodies every day, and as a result, they are millions of times greater in strength over anything you have encountered before."

Miyuki nodded. This she already knew, but it was a nice reminder that the power level they were trying to reach was something to not be taken lightly. Having experienced their strength beforehand when they burned down her house, there was no way she could face them without gaining that strength herself.

"Alright, so what do I need to do to learn this Ki?"

"Considering you have experienced Ki before, teaching you it will be a lot easier than if you walked into it with nothing. Truth is, you probably already have some Ki unlocked in your body already!"

"I-I what?!"

"Ki, from what I understand, is basically your sealed power resting inside your consciousness. Everyone has the ability to tap into that power but not everyone, at least that I know of, is born with the knowledge to do so. From what I have experienced when I taught other members their power, just doing a few rounds of sparring will force the power-less person to somehow adapt and slowly gain that power themselves. Unlike getting it from the necklace though, you'll barely notice that power at first because of its very miniscule supply. Since you have encountered and even survived other Ki wielders, you should be easier to train and get up to speed."

"R-right... that's good to hear" Miyuki quietly admitted, then finishing up her own stretches so they could finally get started. So she has experience already according to this guy, so she just needs to keep working at the Ki already built up inside her? "I just need demonstrations and experience and I'll just get it?"

"Yep, from what I know at least." Sora then steps backwards and gets into a martial arts fighting stance. It was a polished and professional one that mirrored Erin Seijo's. The only difference between the two was that Sora was obviously far stronger. "Come at me with everything you've got."

"C-come at you? You mean, you want me to fight you?!"

"Of course! How the hell are you supposed to fight if you don't know what you're doing? Since we don't know when these Barricades will choose to make their move on us, and considering you've come here after getting into deep shit with I-35, that means they'll be looking here very soon. Every day we'll come here and do these exact same intense sparring drills until I get you on my level."

"Y-yeah..." Miyuki gulped, anxious to even lift her fist at Sora. If this guy was anywhere as strong as Mr. Taro or Manaka, she was gonna break like a twig! There was no other choice though but to do as he asked... After all, he's taught people Ki before, and for all she knew, she was just another one of his members planning to fight the big enemy ahead. Sora wants to beat I-35 and 'conquer the land'. Whether his motives were pure or not, Miyuki didn't know, but it was either fight alongside him, or die what she figured would be a slow and cruel death.

"Come on, don't be so apprehensive. You are stronger than one of the greatest martial artists in the country, right?" Sora would suddenly bring up while he got himself into a fighting stance.

"I-I doubt it, what do you mean?" She would confusedly ask. Wait... he couldn't mean... "You're talking about Erin Seijo, aren't you?"

"Ahuh, Erin Seijo. He's a very exciting one. His skill in martial arts is not to be underestimated with, and I think someone like you should know that."

"He didn't... really... seem all that impressive when I fought him though. He was pretty slow... are you sure he's that good?"

"PFFF, WAIT, DO YOU SERIOUSLY UNDERESTIMATE ERIN SEIJO?!" Sora asked, bursting out in laughter. "HE IS THE ONE PERSON THE BOSS FEARED THE MOST, HAAHAHAHAHAHA" Sora laughed hysterically for a good few seconds, while Miyuki stood with a blank and confused expression. Seeing this confusion, Sora would then sigh before explaining: "Erin Seijo is the first and only true martial artist in this entire school. He may not seem impressive to you, but to everyone else, he was quite the force to be reckoned with. It wasn't only his discipline, but his natural ability too."

"N-Natural ability?"

"Did you know that some people can run for hours on end without ever tiring? Lactic acid holds people back from pushing themselves further and further, but these guys don't feel any of it! Seijo has that rare condition, but he doesn't run. He does martial arts, and with his tireless stamina, he can train all day for pleasure and pass-time.

"Seijo holds the core principals of what makes a powerful Ki user, and The Boss knew this. They were convinced that if Seijo was just given a week to learn and train Ki, then I-35 would be in great trouble. So, they banned any Ki users from making contact with Seijo, or at least using any power around him... because without Ki, he couldn't ever be more than a mere grunt before the Captains, let alone the Barricade's powers, and so he could be just a piece of entertainment to laugh at."

"Oh... wow..." was all Miyuki could respond with. She was speechless. Was he really that good? Even she, a coward, managed to win against him! Either Sora was blowing him out of proportion, or maybe Seijo really was right... she wasn't normal.

After a few minutes more of discussion, at last these two would get around to sparring. They sparred for just over an hour that night. For Sora, this felt like a normal Tuesday. For Miyuki, this was the longest night of her life. Every time she threw a punch, it was like throwing her hand against a bright brick wall. Every time she tried to evade a punch, she ended up failing and taking repeated blows to her own body. His attacks were nothing like Light Guy's or Seijo's, who attacked in singular and predictable attacks. Every blow was carefully plotted and hurt more than the last, leaving Miyuki crawling to bed in sores, cuts, and bruises.

This repeated for days on end. Miserable sparring after miserable sparring, Miyuki was beginning to have a hard time even walking in the mornings. There were a few days where she had attempted to skip out on training because she began to fear sustaining more injury, believing that she wasn't getting anything out of this constant one-sided battle that often left her in tears by the time she went to bed. No matter how much she tried fleeing, Sora was always able to find her one way or another.

Five weeks would pass before Miyuki Sekken finally got used to this drill. With the help of Sora's expertise, she was able to push her strength to a level just enough to match everyone else in the group. Not only did she learn her strength but she learned her unique ability and the basics for efficient combat. Had she been given more time, she would have been able to know more than just the basics, but unfortunately for her, time was only a luxury when people were actively hunting for her head.