SACRED MOUNTAIN – SUMMIT – AFTERNOON
The mountain was steep, merciless. Master Karate's – Lee-Hann Jr's – hands were bleeding. His knees trembled. His lungs burned.
But he kept going.
Every step was a prayer. Every breath, a battle. He thought of his father, bedridden, weakened. He thought of his promise.
I will return stronger.
He reached the summit.
A cave. Dark. Damp. A heavy, almost palpable aura emanated from it.
He entered.
Inside, a man sat cross-legged, eyes closed. A sword rested on his knees, the blade against his chest. He was motionless, like a stone statue.
Lee-Hann approached, heart pounding.
"Hello. I come on behalf of my father. Are you Mr. Yu? My father said you were good friends. Well, good enemies. But you get it, I…"
Yu opened his eyes.
"What do you want?"
His voice was a cleaver. No anger. No joy. Just icy certainty.
Lee-Hann swallowed.
"I wanted you to train me."
"NO."
Lee-Hann stepped back, surprised.
"What? But…"
Yu stood. His sword followed the movement, as if attached to his hand.
"I said no. Now get out."
Lee-Hann clenched his fists.
"I won't leave."
Yu looked at him. A long look. Then he attacked.
Not a sudden movement. Just a simple advance. His sword split the air.
Lee-Hann was thrown out of the cave. He rolled on the rocky ground, got up, and walked back in.
"You don't give up, huh?"
Yu struck again. Lee-Hann stepped back. He tried to parry. His forearm exploded with pain.
He was thrown. He walked back in.
Again. Again. Again.
Each time, he got back up. Each time, he walked back in. His body was covered in bruises, cuts, blood. But his eyes burned.
Yu, for the first time, seemed surprised.
"Why don't you fall?"
Lee-Hann spat blood.
"Because if I fall, I might never get up again."
Yu looked at him for a long time. Then he raised his sword.
"Then fall for good."
Two gestures. Fast. Sharp. As if slicing the air.
The air itself became a blade.
Lee-Hann felt his chest open. Blood sprayed. The pain was so intense he couldn't even scream.
He fell.
Out of the cave. Off the summit. Into the void.
He tumbled down the slope, rolled over rocks, crashed against a tree. He lay there, winded, body in shreds.
He got up.
He climbed back up.
Yu saw him arrive, staggering, bloodied, but standing.
"…You're not going to give up, I see."
Lee-Hann wiped the blood from his face.
"Never. If I want to become strong and finally become the hero I dream of being, I don't have the right to give up."
Yu sheathed his sword.
"Fine. What exactly do you want to learn?"
Lee-Hann bowed.
"Teach me the way of Flow."
"No."
Lee-Hann looked up, incredulous.
"What do you mean, no?"
"I said no."
"But if you won't teach me, I won't leave."
Yu looked at him. His eyes, usually so cold, seemed amused.
"…Ahhhh. Fine, okay, alright."
Lee-Hann smiled.
"But if you want me to teach you something, you'll have to go to the forest in the south. Where the Shogun's temple is. And a village with architecture like in the old days."
"Okay. And what do I do there?"
"You'll find a man named Mr. Bou."
"Mr. Bou? Is he a master?"
"No."
"A swordsman?"
"No."
"A fallen ninja?"
"No."
"Well, what is he then?"
Yu crossed his arms.
"He practices the best profession."
"Which is?"
Yu smiled.
"Chef."
Lee-Hann blinked.
"…What? That's it?"
"What do you mean, 'that's it'? Cooking is an art, you idiot."
"But I came to fight, not to…"
"Go to this man. Buy some rice balls. If you manage to bring them back to me warm, I'll train you. If not, get lost before I kill you."
Lee-Hann opened his mouth to protest, then closed it.
He turned on his heel and walked down the mountain.
"Fucking black samurai," he muttered.
---
COASTAL CITY – GIANT CRAB ATTACK
Sirens wailed. People ran. Giant crabs, tall as houses, crushed everything in their path.
Captain Man was there. He struck. One crab. Two. Three. Each punch pulverized a shell.
One, beside him, watched the crabs with wide eyes.
They look tasty.
A crab came up behind One, its claw raised to crush him.
One didn't move. He raised his hand to grab the claw.
Got you. This'll make a great dinner.
He lifted the crab. Too heavy. He fell backward.
BOOM.
He hit the ground. The crab, behind him, exploded.
One lay there, dazed, a claw in his hand.
"…I missed dinner."
BEAST came running. His legs were those of a cheetah, fast, powerful. He saw the crab, saw One, saw the claw.
"ONE! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
His fist transformed. Gorilla muscles. Thick fur. A devastating mass.
He struck the shell.
CLANG.
Nothing. The shell was too hard.
The crab struck back. Its claw hit Beast square in the chest.
Beast flew through a building. Inside, animators were working on season 2 of RED LOCK. They didn't look up.
"Scene 24 isn't dynamic enough."
"Let's redo it."
Beast crossed the room, then the wall, then fell into a dumpster at the bottom of the building.
The animators didn't flinch.
Beast lay there, groggy, surrounded by trash.
"…Why is no one helping me?"
---
NANO-GROUP HEADQUARTERS – IRON-TANK'S OFFICE
Iron-Tank sat behind his desk. His arms were crossed. His gaze was cold.
Pinky stood before him, hands behind her back, like a schoolgirl summoned to the principal's office.
"I know you want to grow."
She nodded.
"But your portal power doesn't tell me anything. I can't train you."
Pinky lowered her eyes.
"I accepted you only on the Association's orders. But from now on, you're no longer my sidekick."
"Sir, at least let me go on one mission with you."
Iron-Tank looked at her. He was about to answer when his phone vibrated.
Giant crabs were attacking the city.
He stood.
"I'm already handling it."
His armor detached from the wall, assembled around him. Missiles. Cannons. Reactors.
He flew off.
Pinky ran to the window. She watched him launch missiles at a crab. The crab exploded. She watched him land in front of another, pulverize it with his cannons.
The machine stopped, without its pilot, to receive the crowd's applause.
Pinky looked at her phone. The images scrolled by.
You see, I don't need you.
She left the building, heart heavy, shoulders low.
Her phone vibrated.
Kotobe: "You're a fighter. You'll make it."
She smiled. Thanks.
Another message.
Grann: "I just got back. Our meeting still on?"
She remembered. The training proposal. The park. The bench.
Nagato, behind her, approached.
"Where are we going, ma'am?"
Pinky put away her phone.
"To the park."
She wrote to Grann.
"See you at the park. Where we had our first date."
---
IN THE CAR
Images scrolled through Pinky's mind. The first date. The shy glances. The first kiss.
Nagato, at the wheel, looked at her in the rearview mirror.
"You're lost in thought."
Pinky jumped.
"What business is it of yours?"
Nagato didn't answer.
"…Fine, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about anything. Don't worry. I just wanted to become stronger."
Nagato nodded.
"If you want, I can train you."
"No thanks. I already have a coach."
She thought of Grann. Her face turned red.
Nagato said nothing.
---
THE PARK – THE SAME BENCH
Grann sat there. The same bench where they had shared their first kiss. He looked at the sky, the trees, the children playing.
Pinky arrived. She sat beside him.
"You're early."
"So are you."
They talked. About missions, about fights, about their lives. Silences. Laughter.
Then a longer silence.
Grann turned his head toward her. His hand rose, awkward, trembling. It landed on her cheek.
Pinky held her breath.
He leaned in.
"SO, LET'S SEE WHAT SURPRISE WE HAVE HERE."
The voice was sharp. Mocking. Icy.
Grann jumped to his feet, positioning himself in front of Pinky.
A figure emerged from the shadow of the trees.
Blue. Pinky's brother.
He was tall, slender, with the same pink hair as hers, but longer, dirtier. His gaze was empty, almost dead.
"I'm back in Jipangu. I'm back at the place that caused my departure."
He stopped in front of them.
"And what do I see? The same scene as last time."
Pinky stood.
"You? What are you doing here?"
Blue smiled.
"Well now, aren't you happy to see me?"
Grann stepped forward.
"Blue. Long time no see. Last time, I didn't get to beat you the way I should have. So you grew some balls? You're touching my sister again?"
Blue ignored Grann. He looked at Pinky.
"Back off, Grann," said Pinky. "It's not what you think."
"Back off?" Blue sneered. "You think he's going to listen to you? This is just an excuse for him. For revenge."
Grann clenched his fists.
"You want revenge because I destroyed the material love your father had for you. Is that it, Blue?"
Blue approached. His smile was nasty.
"Come closer, Grann. I'll show you what I'm capable of now."
He spread his arms.
"After that eclipse in the US, I'm back. And I see my revenge has advanced on its own."
He pointed his finger at Grann.
"Come closer. Let me land the punch I didn't land last time."
Grann stepped forward.
The wind rose.
The two men faced each other.
---
TO BE CONTINUED…