GRUDGE BURST - Urban Fantasy Multi Protag Downward Spiral

I tried fixing/deleting these spoiler tags but nothing's working so I guess I just have to deal with it

Out in the plains of Wisconsin, in a semi-rural area.

6 PM

Jinsei and Edward are in a motel. The CIA put them there as a temporary base of operations. Due to Jinsei's group having plenty of business at The Underground, on top of the motel's close proximity to it, the CIA thought it best for them to stay there.

Edward wakes up from a nap on the couch. Having nothing to do for a couple of days, to say he's bored would be an understatement. He stands up and lazily shuffles to Jinsei, who's on a recliner.

Jinsei is typing on a laptop. He's been at it for a couple hours now. He sighs, rubs his eyes, and continues to type.

Edward notices tally marks cut into Jinsei's right wrist. There's five of them. He squints at them but doesn't think too much of them. He then looks over Jinsei's shoulder at the laptop. The entire screen is full of code that's in the middle of being written.

Jinsei stops typing and looks at Edward. "Can I help you?"

"You can, actually. First off, what are you doing?"

Jinsei sighs, readying himself for whatever the idiot had to say to him. "I'm working on an assignment for the CIA. Since we're working with them, they tasked me with translating over some magic scrolls into code, at least until further notice."

Edward stares at the code for five seconds before responding. "...Yeah, no, this sucks."

Jinsei furrows his brow. "I'm not in the mood for your inane antics."

"No dude, I'm being serious. Like ok, maybe I'm being a little bit harsh. But I'm seeing lots of variables repeated throughout. You can prevent repeating entire lines of code over and over again by just including a script, ya know."

Jinsei face morphs from one of annoyance to confusion. "How the hell do you know how to code?"

Edward shrugs. "I don't know man. I'm just that talented."

Jinsei makes an annoyed face again.

Edward then rolls his eyes and continues. "Ok ok, back before I became a priest, I was pretty cracked at coding. Strange how I remember my school days more than the priesthood shit but, priorities. I guess."

Jinsei rolls his eyes. "Alright well, I'm assuming you want to help right? Or did you come just to pester me?"

"Oh yeah no, your code is bugging me so much that I'll write it for you, no worries."

They move over to the couch. As Jinsei recites the scroll aloud, Edward converts it into organized text.

After a few minutes, Edward asks, "Jinsei."

"Yes, Edward?"

"You said you wanted to revive someone, right?"

"Yes."

Edward then gives a weirded out look at Jinsei. "Ok so, just as a hypothetical, spirits can posses objects, right?"

"Yes. When a spirit gets used to being...a spirit, they're able to enter inanimate objects and possess them. It can be as simple as a rock, or even as big as a house, hence, haunted houses."

"Alright cool, and I'm assuming corpses count, right?"

"Correct."

"Then why the fuck wouldn't you just get the sorcerer's spirit, tell him to possess his dead body, and bada bing bada boom, we're all happy?"

"Because," snaps Jinsei. "You can only manipulate your soul with magic once. If you do that before death, you become a sorcerer; thus when you die, you can't turn into a remnant psyche or a spirit. Meanwhile normal people's souls are untainted, and thus, go through that transformation after they die.."

"Ooohhh...so you've thought about this for a long while huh?"

"More than you'd ever know."

After an hour and half of working, Edward asks.

"By the way, later this week, do you know if they want us to do a mission or something?"

"Not that I'm aware of, no. Why?"

"Well thing is, Chad, Jordy, and I are gonna go to the Casino section of The Underground. I doubt you're the type to get into that but, just wanted to invite you anyway."

Jinsei shakes his head. "No thank you."

"And a couple days later, I'mma go on a date with Quinn," continues Edward. "So I'd appreciate knowing if I had to call off a mission or something."

"You should be fine. Do they not have your email?"

"Oh yeah they do. I just don't read it. Especially when I can have you around to tell me what's going on." Edward smiles.

Jinsei contrasts with a frown. "Well anyway, as a heads up I'll be meeting up with Brook next week. They have something I need to see. I have my doubts but, I might as well try."

"Yeah, uh huh, that's great."

Jinsei gives a side eye to Edward, but knows there's no point in addressing his attitude.

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Meanwhile in Japan

8 AM

Yoshida Mishima, the Japanese Ambassador for the Ordinance Academy, stands in front of Ushiyama Kito's door.

"Hello Mr. Kito. We need to talk."

Kito gives a confused look. "Do I know you?" Asks Kito.

"No. But I work with the government. May I enter?"

"Well, of course! Come in, come in." Kito motions for Mishima to enter.

As Mishima walks in, he grabs something from his pocket. A small, pocket sized little spirit. It takes the shape of a small, gerbil looking gremlin. It frantically skitters around Mishima's palm before calming down. Mishima calmly and quietly puts the creature on his shoulder.

"Take a seat," says Kito, pulling a chair out. "Do you want something to drink or?"

"I am fine, thank you," responds Mishima. The little creature barks and growls loudly.

Kito sits in front of Mishima, and looks at him in the eyes, not looking anywhere else. "So, I'm assuming this has to do with the whole mayor business?"

"To an extent, yes. Have you heard of the news? It's been everywhere this morning."

"Ahhh yeah...yeah..." responds Kito, looking down, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "The now former mayor just passed away right? It's a damn shame."

"Yes, quite. As of now, someone will take the mayor's position, but only until the new mayor is elected. However, I'm not here to talk about the order of leadership. Kito, was it? You're running for mayor, is that right?"

"Yes sir!" Says Kito in a proud tone. "I'm hoping to serve my province the best I can."

"Yes, that's nice. However, I do find it odd that the mayor passed away a week right after you declared your participation in the election."

The little spirit continues to bark and growl. Kito doesn't stop looking at Mishima's eyes. "I suppose that's weird but, I don't know what to say. I never knew anything about the mayor's health problems. All I can say was that he was good man who tried his best, and I hope he rests in peace."

Mishima's tired stare connects with Kito's unwavering gaze. "I see." Simply responds Mishima.

Mishima then flips through his file and whips out a paper. "In my hands is a transcript of the night. I couldn't help but notice that you said something a little odd. You don't mind if I reference it, do you?"

"No, go ahead. You're only doing your job haha," says Kito with a smile.

Mishima's face doesn't change. "During your speech, you said 'As a matter of fact, dear Mr. Mayor of Kyoto, If I were you, I would resign in a week's notice. Or else your heart will stop due to the burden you carry. Won't you agree?' In which case the Mayor, put on the spot, simply responds with 'sure.' Now, I don't believe in superstitiouns but, you can see why this raises concerns within the government, right? It seems oddly specific, wouldn't you agree?"

Mishima looks at the window behind Kito. there, he sees the reflective glare of a sniper scope. He looks at the sniper, shakes his head, and continues to look at Kito, awaiting for an answer.

Kito shakes his head. "Damn. Me and my words, huh?"

Mishima squints. The sniper rests their fingers on the trigger, directly aiming for Kito's head.

Kito then continues. "I know what this looks like. But believe you me, this is just a horribly aligned coincidence. You see, my entire angle when it comes to influencing the audience is with my theatrics. I gotta rile them up and get them on my side."

Mishima loosens up his gaze.

Kito continues. "By putting the mayor on the spot, I didn't mean anything but to sort of humiliate him, you know? Especially with my campaign budget, I need to do everything in my power to influence the audience. I didn't mean anything else by it, I swear."

Kito then gets outs out of his chair and does a slight bow. "I sincerely apologize, sir. I understand why this would look suspicious, but I didn't mean anything other than a simple case of poorly timed theatrics."

Mishima looks away and responds. "No, you don't have to do that." He sighs, and gets up from the chair. "Well Mr. Kito, I believe that's all I need from you today."

Kito stands up. With a smile, he responds. "No worries. And hey, I understand you're just doing your job. Trust me, if I were in your position, I would be asking the same thing too, haha." Kito presents his hand out. Mishima glares at it, coats his own hand in magic, and accepts the handshake.

"Pleasure meeting you, Ushiyama Kito. May you prosper in the race."

Accepting Kito's hand, Mishima doesn't feel a single ounce of Ki, Psychopower, or Magic in Kito. "(Hmph)". Thinks Mishima to himself.

Letting go, Mishima turns around, walks out the door, and closes it.

20 minutes later, Mishima is on a rooftop overlooking Kito's apartment. There, a bulky, tall boy in his early twenties stands next to him. The boy wears a large brown bomber jacket, a grey owl-like mask, thick boots and thick pants. He has a pin that signifies he's from the second Hokkaido school.

"So," starts the boy, shouldering his rifle. "Did he do it?"

Mishima lights up a cigarette. "From what I gathered, no. He didn't react to the spirit at all; didn't even glance for a split second. His explanation seemed serviceable. And most importantly, from what I could tell, his levels are that of a normal human."

The boy tilts his head. "ehhh....I mean hiding your levels isn't impossible. It's just really hard to do."

Mishima looks at the sky. The grey clouds are coming by, fast. "I'm aware." He takes the small spirit out of his pocket, squeezes it until it pops, and flicks his hand out as a means of cleaning his hand. "Well whatever the case, we won't pursue him. At least not in the moment. He's still a suspect but for now, I'm going to have re-check the former mayor's history of health. You can go back, Jin."

Jin smiles. The bomber jacket morphs into a long cloak that reaches down to his feet. He hides rifle inside his cloak. He jumps.

An owl flies away.

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A couple hours earlier.

6 AM

Yamada marinates in his vat. Naoki had just left a minute ago. Gretchen is out of the room, and the room is as dim as ever. Alone with his thoughts, Yamada meditates.

He lifts his semi-regenerated hand and closes his fingers. It takes a bit of effort but slowly yet surely, his body is recovering back to normal. He ponders to himself. "To an extent...Naoki is right. Perhaps I should let things go. After all, I am getting my hands back, and I'm still alive. Now if it were permanent, then I suppose the anger would be more justified. But... this isn't so bad. I tried my best. I did as much as I could. I didn't die... that's fine."

He then purses his mandibles.

"No...no! I won't let that bastard win. I can't. For him to think he's better than me..."

He pauses.

"Wait... why am I so bothered by this? I've never fought before so of course I'd lose. Is it because he won that's bothering me? No, that can't be right. It's unfortunate but, it already happened, and it is what it is. Is it because he insulted me? That's hitting a closer mark... but its like what Naoki said, they're just words of a bully. They don't really mean much once he's on the ground, half beaten to death. But..."

Yamada realizes. "All those words. Why do I want to fight him? What will this fix? What am I trying to prove? Is this all just to match his macho facade?"

He hugs his legs in a fetal position, and simmers in the vat. "I suppose so. Even if its stupid, I already set my mind to it. I guess i'll just pay the price for it when the time comes."

Knock knock knock

The door opens. Akemi enters and says aloud in a serious voice: "I heard Saizo did this to you."

Akemi closes the door.

Yamada simply stares at Akemi.

"You want to do something about it, right?" Asks Akemi.

Yamada slowly gets up from his seated position.

Akemi continues. "I know just the perfect way to get rid of him."

"Get rid of him...?" Asks Yamada.

"Permanently."

"Out of curisoity," interrupts Yamada. "What do you have against Saizo? You didn't fight him."

"Because, he, the new girl, and vessels in general are problems. I've been doing this for a long while, and I know what they're like. They're all ticking time bombs. That's as much as I can say for now."

"How do you know for sure?"

Akemi scoffs. "Look at you. Look at Naoki. He did this to you two. How do you know he's not going to kill a student mid-sparring? Do you really think he of all people has compassion? Spirits have lost their humanity a long time ago, and I'm not risking a repeat of the baseball spirit again. So what do you say?"

Yamada stares at Akemi for a couple solid seconds. The lower half of his head still rests underneath the liquid, while his eyes simply gaze at the student.

"If by 'getting rid of him' implies murdering him," starts Yamada. "Then I'll pass. I hate him, and I know I wanted to kill him in the mission, but that was in the heat of the moment. I'm a lot...calmer now. But, I don't see a reason to kill him. Besides, I have a score to settle with him."

Akemi's eye twitches. "So even if it didn't hypothetically involve killing, would you still help us out?"

Yamada glares. "I don't know who 'us' is, but I am not interested. Thank you for your concern, but I do not wish to be involved in any shape or form."

Akemi does a slight bow. "I understand."

Just as Akemi turns around and opens the door, Yamada says one last thing.

"By the way, Akemi."

The student looks over his shoulder.

"He's mine. Do whatever you please afterwards. But if I find out you did something to him before our fight, you and I will have problems."

Akemi furrows his eyebrows. "...What are you going to do about it?"

Unflinching, Yamada's mandibles open wide. "I don't know. And I don't want to know. So why don't we leave it at that."

Akemi stares for a couple seconds, before slamming the door behind him.

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4:51 PM

Naoki had taken a long nap. Typically, it would have been his shift to go patrolling. But due to his injuries, he was able to take the night off.

Naota, adorned in a long, white robe, walks beside Naoki. Naota is also holding a white mask that's made of pure white cloth. They're both walking towards the 'reception area.'

"You said you wanted to talk?" Asks Naota.

"Yeah... it's about what happened last night." Responds Naoki.

"Alright, go ahead. Don't know how long we're able to talk since I'm already late but, go on. What's on your mind, Naoki?"

"Alright well, it mainly has to do with Yamada. Even though we beat the spirit, he's really hung up on losing to him. Or mainly what the spirit said to him got to him. I don't know. I tried to suggest to just let it go because there's no real place for this to go. But he's very adamant in getting a rematch."

"Why don't you want him to fight?" Asks Naota.

"Because, it's just...dumb. The fight already happened, he lost, got made fun of, but that's the end of that. He tried his best and we won in the end. I hope he realizes vengeance doesn't get him anywhere, and marinating in those thoughts only makes him more miserable. Plus if he and Saizo don't let it go, they're both just going to make things worse around the school. It's just cumbersome, you know?"

"Hmm." Naota doesn't say anything for a while, before opening his mouth again. "I have a question, Naoki."

"Yeah what's up?"

"What makes you think you have the right to decide what's best for anyone other than yourself?"

Naoki stops walking. He looks at Naota. "It's...it's how you raised me? Isn't letting things pass the way you taught me? The way of the buddha?"

"Yes. However, everyone lives different lives. No matter what's best for their situation, it's not up to us to decide for them. We don't know the exact extent of what they're going through. Additionally, don't you think it's rather inconsiderate of their feelings?"

"What do you mean?" Asks Naoki.

"You say the situation is not a big deal. I understand what you mean. And though it may seem silly on the outside to us, we have no right to judge. We've lived vastly different lives. To compare our experiences with someone who's going through it for the first time, and deeming it as juvenile is the equivalent of you walking up to Yamada and spitting on his face. Give him time, and let him learn for himself."

Naoki, saddened, looks down at the ground. They both continue walking.

"I understand..." Says Naoki. "But, what about you teaching me? Doesn't that mean you also don't have a right in saying what I do?"

Naota shakes his head. "Naoki, I raised you this way because I think it's best. But you're growing up; fast. I give you suggestions and lessons for you to understand. But if you want to disregard my teachings, then go for it. You're this close to being a grown man now. I didn't make a contract or force you at gunpoint to obey my teachings. I raised you, but ultimately, you decide your own actions. I'm not going to be with you forever. And you know this. It's like how you rescued Yamada. It was your decision, and though I did ultimately raise you that way, you pay the price for your actions. You can decide whether or not to listen to me. What comes after is all on you. But, you already know this."

Naoki keeps on walking, and doesn't say a word.

Silence.

Eventually, Naota chuckles quietly.

Naoki looks up. "What's so funny?"

"You know Naoki, this exact scenario just happens to repeat itself. I'm sure you know how Makoto feels about your beliefs, right?"

Naoki shrugs. "I think she kinda disagrees but hopefully, I can get her to understand-"

"That's the thing, Naoki," interrupts Naota. "She's just like you. Even though she loves you, she despises the way you think."

Naoki, disgruntled, looks at Naota. "How do you know?"

"I've talked to her before. But the main difference is, even though she disagrees with you, she doesn't force you to subscribe to her ways. She understands that, that's just how you are, and she accepts it. I understand that there's some genuine menaces out there, but the main point is, our beliefs aren't the only valid ones. So for you to shoot down other people's ideals, and stand above and preach your own is called being a hypocrite." Naota kneels down, looks at Naoki's face, and pats him in the head. "And we have to be better than that."

Naoki frowns, and looks at the ground. "But... I don't want him to be in this situation. I don't want any of my friends to get hurt. What can we do?"

"When it comes to these situations, all we can do is offer our assistance; an ear, a suggestion. But we can never force it."

"And what if they say no?"

"Then the only thing we can do for them, is pray."

Naoki, with watery eyes, purses his lips, and nods.

"I understand."

They eventually reach the reception area. Naota opens a large, cramped glass container, and walks inside it.

"I'll see you later, Naoki. Stay safe, and whatever you do, don't do anything stupid."

Naoki forces a smile.

Naota then sits crisscross, and adorns the white mask. The cloth drapes over, obscuring any semblance of his face. He then slowly leans from side to side in a hypnotic pace.

"Wait Naota, I forgot-"

Naota doesn't stop swaying.

Naoki purses his lips. "Nevermind."

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6 PM

Naoki has been walking in the city for over an hour now. The sun is about to set. The sky is a blend between pink and orange. He's wearing his civilian clothes; a simple hoodie, shorts, and converse shoes. He stares at the normal people walking by. An old lady is selling candy on the street. Some kids are playing baseball. Cars drive on their typical commute. There's martial artists sparring in the middle of the park. Little lives living little lives.

Naoki walks beside the shore of the harbor. About a mile back was the factory where he was just at seventeen hours ago. He ponders and kicks rocks. And then he sees someone skipping stones.

They're wearing the typical garb of a fisherman, as well as a black bandana on their head. Their eyes are overshadowed by the bandana. The man is skipping stones on the water.

Naoki remembers when Akemi and Makoto would often accompany him during nights off. First would be going to the mall, then at sunset would be skipping stones, often discreetly using their powers to see who could go the farthest. Then finally go watch a movie. Oh how the memories fly by.

Naoki walks near the person and picks up a rock. He flings it. Blankly, he picks up another rock, and another. He doesn't pay attention to how far he throws it. He simply throws.

The man next to him slows his throws. "You seem to be in a bad mood." Says the man.

Naoki doesn't respond.

Silence. The two of them continue to skip stones. The water is calm and quiet.

"Would you like to get something off your chest?" Asks the man.

Naoki turns to him. "Do I know you?"

"I suppose not. However, I don't mind lending an ear from time to time. And who knows; answers can come from places you least expect."

Naoki gives a weirded out look.

"Now, I'm not saying I'm some enlightened bodhisattva of compassion- quite the opposite. But, I know sometimes the only thing a person needs, is to be heard." Says the fisherman. He then shrugs. "Your choice."

"I'm good," says Naoki, not looking at him.

"Suit yourself."

They both continue to throw stones.

Naoki's shoulders feel heavy. His stomach sinks. And no matter how far he sets his eyes, they always droop down, back to the ground.

"(I shouldn't be talking to strangers but...I suppose it won't hurt to hear someone else's thoughts for a bit.)" Thinks Naoki to himself.

For what feels like hours, Naoki eventually opens his mouth.

"Say...hypothetically speaking, what is a man to you?" Asks Naoki.

The fisherman, looking surprised, looks at Naoki. "Oho? What brings this up?"

"...Nevermind."

The fisherman shakes his head. "My bad, I won't pry any further. It's just that I need a bit of context to understand the angle. Man is complex, after all."

Naoki looks at the ground for a second, before responding. "I have a friend of mine that seems to be insecure about his masculinity. He thinks he's a coward and all that. I want him to get out of that rut but, he won't listen."

The fisherman folds his arms, shakes his head, and chuckles. "Ahh, I see. Indeed it is, indeed it does. 'What is a man?' I too asked this when I was a child. However, we all have our definitions, and I think you know this. Is it the mentally strong, and kindhearted, quiet man? Or is it violence? Is it the sophisticated gentleman, or the brute running off of primal instincts? The thing is that the definition is subjective, and everyone has to find out what a 'man' is by themselves."

Naoki rolls his eyes. "Gee, that's real helpful."

"However, I think the main important thing between each definition is conflict." The fisherman turns to Naoki. "Man is conflict. Remember that."

The boy gives a confused look. "Man is conflict?"

"Precisely. Everything we do, be it as a species or as a person, male or female, young or old, man is always fighting. And for a man, you have to fight for what you want. Its the very law of nature to kill for nourishment. Now, I don't mean we should kill everything and everyone in order to be a man. But metaphorically speaking, you get what I mean, right? I doubt animals could survive just living off of tofu and vegetables, setting aside their selfish needs to live in harmony."

"What do animals have to do with humans?"

The fisherman laughs. "Well humans are animals after all. Granted, we aren't cannibalizing one another. But to think that our sapience cancels our primal selves is a foolish assumption. If we were truly that advanced as a species, then perhaps conflict as a concept would be gone. We'd all evolve into tofu-eating, vegetable passing animals. And though you might think that's where we are right now, raw emotions beg to differ. Anger still sparks up. Grief controls others. Raw emotions can't deny who- what we are. We are animals. And that's not a good thing, nor a bad thing. It's just a thing that is."

Naoki looks puzzled. "But what's wrong with animals being all friendly? As silly as it sounds, if everyone's on the same page, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

The fisherman nods his head. "Yes, that would be a good thing. But I think you already know that humans aren't so kind. Some are allergic to tofu and vegetables. Others hate the taste of plants and prefer the meat of their herbivore neighbor. No matter the situation, people will do what it takes to get what they want. The boat will always be rocked. That is the rule of nature."

Naoki makes a wry face. "So you're saying that humans are evil. Is that it?"

The fisherman tilts his head from side to side. "Not necessarily evil. The animal allergic to tofu and plants is doing it out of circumstance. And as for the one who isn't allergic, but prefers meat anyway, it's the same thing. Are you going to forsake them because of their nature? Just because people differ in their opinions doesn't mean they're evil. And that's the thing. There is no 'good' or 'evil' when it comes to nature. It's only people fighting for what they want, or living unfulfilling lives, settling for less. Man is conflict. And that's a good thing."

"So what are you striving for then?" Asks Naoki. "You're talking about winning and dying. What are you striving for?"

The fisherman puts his hands on his hips and cackles. "Believe it or not, I'm a politician."

Naoki scoffs. "You?" He then looks up and down at the fisherman's work uniform. "A politician?"

"That's right. I'm running for mayor, I'd greatly appreciate if you voted for me."

Naoki gives a sarcastic chuckle. "I've already given you this much time so- yeah man, why not. What's your name?"

"Kito. Ushiyama Kito." He presents his hand outwards to Naoki.

Naoki accepts the handshake.

Instantly, a bear trap snaps onto Naoki's fingers. The sorcerer looks down at his hand, shocked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Says Kito, staring into Naoki's eyes. Kito then lets go.

Naoki looks at his hand. The hand is fine.

Despite not sporting a single semblance of ki or magic, Kito's grip was unlike Naoki had ever felt before. So firm. So hard. Yet, his hand is fine.

"Admiring your hand already?" Jokes Kito.

Naoki looks up, confused. "What?"

"It's not everyday people shake hands with a future mayor. Don't be like those people who don't wash their hands because of it."

Naoki continues to stare.

Kito rolls his eyes. "It's a joke, kid."

"How...how are you so strong?" Asks Naoki.

Kito, giving a weirded out look, looks at the large body of water. He then looks at the nets of a ship not too far away. He looks at his calloused hands. He then looks at his waterproof overalls. He then ends it off with "gee, I wonder."

Naoki shakes his head. His heart still pumping, he slowly calms down. "I...yeah, that makes sense. Yeah."

Kito continues to stare, and eventually asks a question. "Your friend. Why does it bother you what he does? Its his life after all."

Naoki purses his lips, and eventually answers. "Thing is, I know that. I accept it. I already got an earful from my... dad. Yeah. And I know I can't change other people's minds. And even if I know I can't change them, that doesn't mean I like it. I suppose I care too much is all."

"Mmm. Well, though I don't know what your friend is going through, my advice, to you and to him is this: Conflict is a good thing. It's how you learn."

The ocean becomes quieter.

"Meaningless conflict is whatever. But those moments where you have to weigh your decisions, fight for what you want, and most importantly- learn; those are all important. If you don't learn from your experiences. You're not evolving."

The sun finishes setting. The dark hue of the sky immediately shifts the scenery.

"Without evolution, you are aimless, passive."

Kito turns to Naoki. Naoki looks at the fisherman.

"Passivity is inaction. Inaction is stagnation. Stagnation is death."

Kito inches himself towards Naoki's face.

"If the lion sits around all day, it won't eat, and it will die. If someone is picking on you, and you're passive to their actions, then the vulture will only pick and pick and pick, until you're nothing but a bundle of bones and sinew."

With his firm grasp, he clutches onto Naoki's shoulder. Kito's face is overshadowed. The only thing Naoki can see are Kito's cat-like eyes and hulking silhouette.

"He has to learn for himself. And that will dictate whether or not he will survive, or die."

Kito lets go and backs away. "Do him that favor. I know you care, but sometimes the best way of caring, is to care at a distance."

Silence.

Naoki, chest beating fast, stammers. "I...I have to go now."

Kito looks away. "Ah yes, would you like at the time. I best be heading back home now."

Hurriedly, Naoki bows and says 'i-it's been a pleasure. Thank you for your time." He then runs up the hill and runs back towards the academy.

Kito smiles. "Don't forget to vote for me."

Kito's eye twitches. "Now, I might be feeling a little off today but...was that Ki I sensed within him?"

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Naoki meditates in his room. He sits in his chair, staring at his paused game.

Knock knock knock

"Come in," says Naoki.

Yamada's antenna pokes through the small door. "I just wanted to ask you a small favor."

Naoki looks down at the ground. "Ask away."

Yamada opens the door. "I only wanted to ask if you could help me attain a technique."

Naoki turns his head towards the cockroach.

"I was thinking..." continues Yamada. "I think the only logical conclusion for me to get stronger is for me to actually get my technique. A big reason why Saizo did a lot of damage to me to begin with was because of his abilities so I figured 'hey, why don't I do the same thing?'"

Naoki blinks.

Yamada looks at the ground ."If you want to say no, I understand. I just thou-"

"Yamada," interrupts Naoki.

"Yes?"

"I've been... thinking. The entire day. As much as I want to say things, I've already said what needed to be said. But after thinking about it, I suppose I was wrong about things. If I say no, you'll just ask someone else. I can't force you to do anything. You won't last long if you don't attain a technique. And you'll die if you don't learn. So yes Yamada. I'll teach you how to get your technique."

Yamada stares, yet his mandibles perk up. "Thank you for understanding, Naoki."

Naoki gives a blank look.

"So... when can we start?"

"Now," says Naoki. "We can start right now."

"Alright! Then lets go to the gym." Says Yamada in a chipper tune.

"Yeah."

.

.

.

"I'm sorry," mutters Naoki under his breath.

.

.

.

Earlier

Ken and Saizo stand out in the middle of the academy's field.

Saizo, with his fists clenched, glares at Ken. Ken on the other hand, keeps a permanent smug face.

"I know we're training but, I have a feeling you want to kill me." Says Ken.