Dawn of a New Age

Chapter 2 (Part III): Crimson Rain

Disclaimer(s): None of the image(s) used in this chapter belongs to me. The Pixiv or Twitter source(s) will be linked underneath each image if available or unless it is from an official source.

The majority of this chapter is a flashback.

Word Count: 15.7k Words

=======================================

Flashback

In a two-floored house, a lone woman sat at the dinner table where a plate of meat and vegetables had been laid out along with a bowl of rice. When she initially made the dishes, she had a bright smile on her face and was excited for someone to try them out and (hopefully) enjoy every part of the meal. However, that someone was late when returning from school and the food had gone cold after hours.

She looked out the window and stared at the gray thunderclouds looming over the city, sighing to herself as she continued to wait patiently. The rain tapping on the window was not different from the current storm in the present.

A knock on the door startled the woman before she quickly ran over and answered it, only to find a young boy standing there, covered in bruises. He had short H/C hair dirtied with mud and his E/C eyes quietly looked up at the woman.

With a ghastly look and a sharp gasp, she covered her mouth with both hands.

"Y-Y/N baby?"

Aisha quickly kneeled to get a better look at her son whose whole appearance was the complete opposite of her long, recently dried H/C hair and sparkling E/C eyes. "W-What happened!? Who did this!?"

For the first time since the Y/N could remember, tears of frustration welled up in his eyes and fell as he wiped his face with his left arm. "T-The older kids were picking on my classmates and I-I only wanted to help them..." He spluttered in between sobs as Aisha felt her heart shatter into pieces with each wail, tears also welling up in her eyes.

She quickly picked her son up and locked the door before bringing him to the kitchen and setting him down at the dinner table. With tactical agility, she was easily able to patch him up as best as she could without touching into that side of her... After she was done she pecked her son on his forehead and remained by his side, bringing him in for a hug.

"You don't know how proud I am of you for helping your classmates. Did they thank you?"

Y/N didn't say anything and looked away, confusing Aisha.

"What happened next, Y/N baby?"

Y/N didn't say anything and continued to look in the opposite direction.

"...Y/N?" Aisha asked again.

"T-They... T-They told the teachers..." Her son barely whispered with a sniff.

Her face lightened up and gently grabbed his face to delicately make him face her. "That's a good thing! Did the teachers-" Aisha's heart dropped when she saw the anguish written all over her son's face.

"THEY TOLD THE TEACHERS THAT I STARTED IT!" Y/N shouted with his eyes closed as more tears poured out from his eyes at the unfairness he was going through. "THE TEACHERS TOLD ME THAT I SHOULDN'T BE FIGHTING WITH OTHER STUDENTS AND SAID IT WAS MY FAULT! NOW EVERYONE THINKS IT'S MY FAULT!"

"W-What?" Aisha was left horrorstruck at the news, her hands were shaking at the explanation from her child.

Y/N tilted his head down to not look at his mother's eyes. "E-Everyone in my grade thinks it's my fault that the older kids are picking on us now and no one wants to be my friend! The teachers think I'm always picking fights with the other students and everyone in my grade wants me to get beat up..." He buried his face into his mom's chest while his small hands grabbed her shirt to keep himself grounded. "I don't wanna be here anymore... I wanna move, momma..."

"I know you do, baby..." Aisha whispered, pulling her son in for a tighter hug and rubbing his back, reassuringly. "I know you do..." She wanted to leave such a disgusting place as well but where else could they go? She didn't want him to be raised under the Fire Moth's supervision nor did she want him to be dragged into a life of nothing but battle.

Aisha learned this same harsh lesson long ago: they had nowhere else to go...

Weeks passed since that day and Aisha watched as her son came back every day with bruises on his face and looking more gloomier with each day of being bullied. His books and belongings would end up being ripped or dirtied, including his schoolwork/homework. She lost count of how many phone calls she received regarding her son's failing grades but she couldn't care less about these things. She was too infuriated by the fact that no one but her cared about her son's well being.

Why was no one wanting to help him?

Was there anyone looking out for him besides her?

Why am I still defending humanity?

These were all questions that Aisha often asked herself at night as images of the only thing she held precious in this world continued to be trampled on like a doormat and tossed aside by everyone like nothing.

She couldn't remember the last time he smiled. 

The last time he laughed. 

The laugh that formerly decorated these halls with its pleasant melody had abandoned them.

The last time she saw that light in his eyes. His once E/C eyes that shone with happiness were replaced with those filled with despair and brokenness.

The last time he came back without any injuries on his body.

Hell, she couldn't even remember the last time he spoke to her. 

Her son had been beaten into submission by the bullies to the point where he was constantly looking around with eyes widened from fear and only whispering to others when they asked him anything as if afraid of over speaking, including her.

Aisha's faith in humanity shattered into a million pieces when she came to this realization and the only reason why she remained as her affectionate, motherly self was her love for her son. 

There were times when she heard the faint whispers of the Honkai, beckoning her to indulge in her natural instincts as a Herrscher and find those boys to coldly tear them apart.

Aisha was scared to admit that she was tempted by the alluring prospect, but managed to pull herself back before going off the deep end, too worried that her son may have been caught in the crossfire.

Next to her on the bed, she could hear Y/N shaking in his sleep and moved over to comfort him by pulling him in for a hug and patting his head, whispering to him, "Momma's here..." She could barely say it without wanting to break down and berate herself.

'What kind of a mother am I?' She quietly cried herself to sleep every night before this one, asking herself this, but, this time, she resolved to herself that she would bring this up to the teachers tomorrow.

Unfortunately for Aisha, she would discover that she was too late. Far too late...

The day began as it normally would for Y/N now: he would go to school and ignore the spiteful stares from his fellow students and teachers. However, no matter how well he ignored their glares, their words pierced through the tiniest cracks in the walls he put up.

"It's his fault that the older kids are picking on us now!" A student shouted.

"(It wasn't my fault...)"

"What a troublesome child. There's no doubt that he'll turn out to be a delinquent." One of his teachers muttered.

"(I was just trying to help them...)"

"Nobody play with him during recess! He should learn that no one wants him here!" Another student commanded as others nodded in agreement.

"(...)"

Then, came the next part.

Y/N was pushed up against a wall by a group of three older students - the same high schoolers that were picking on his classmates the first time around.

He was already used to them cornering him and extorting him of the money his mother gave to him for lunch.

He was already used to them beating him up and leaving him behind when they were done.

He was already used to his classmates leaving him out to dry whenever this happened and didn't expect anything from them.

Yet, for some reason, today felt different. Much like the first time he went home with bruises on his face and a swollen eye, the dark gray skies were an apt color to describe the usually pure white color of his soul. The rain pelting his face made the wounds sting more and made his head feel the clearest that it has ever been in the past couple of weeks.

"Only 50 Yuans [$7.50]? Is your family poor or something? Or is it because they always have to buy new clothes and pencils for a loser like you?" One of them stood on his left side, counting over and over the money they had snatched from Y/N's pockets.

"Nah, dude. I heard that he lives with just his super hot mom." The bully on his right explained.

"Haha, really?" The last one in the middle smacked Y/N across the face before forcing him to look back at his smirk. "Maybe, our little friend over here can introduce us to her and we'll give her a son she wouldn't be disappointed in."

That was when he could feel something snap inside of him.

His left hand balled into a fist - something the middle one noticed.

"Aw, is our little friend angry?" He mocked Y/N and flicked his forehead. "What is he going to do about it-"

Crack!

Crack!

Two loud "cracks!" followed afterward. The first was from Y/N's left fist decimating the bully's jaw and the second was the sound of the bully's skull hitting the concrete after being sent flying backward from the powerful left uppercut.

A pool of crimson ichor spilled from the bully's cracked-open skull and joined the rainwater flowing into the nearest storm drain.

The other two bullies stood still, shocked and terrified at the sight in front of them. Their bladder and all sense of motor skills failed them when Y/N slowly tilted his head to look at them with his E/C that shone with life once again.

"W-What the hell!?"

"T-This kid is a fucking monster-" Neither of them was allowed to say anything else as the young boy exploded forward and unleashed all of the anger and frustration building up inside of him over the past several weeks. The sound of bones being broken and cries of pain cut through the rain while rivers of crimson ichor tainted the ground and mixed with the rivers of rainwater emptying into the storm drains.

When the encore of screams ended, the bullies' faces were rendered into nothing more than bloody lumps of meat and their bodies cried out to them in pain while they lay on the ground, barely able to breathe. Y/N stood tall and looked at his fists which were shaking and covered in their blood. He could remember each punch he threw that tore into the flesh of the three bullies and left them disfigured on the floor nearby, their faces unrecognizable and tainted in a sea of crimson. 

He remembered the sensation he felt when he was the one beating them into a bloody pulp. 

He enjoyed every single second of it.

"Y-Y/N?"

The young boy turned around and found his mother standing there, wide-eyed, with the principal next to her who was horrified at the sight in front of her. If he had a mirror on hand, then perhaps he could understand why they looked scared of the wild, animalistic look in his eyes, devious smile on his lips, and the blood dripping from his fists.

"(M-Mom...? She betrayed me too?)" Y/N thought as the principal screamed and rushed to dial the police while the mother and son stared at each other, lost for words.

Timeskip

Brrrrrrring! Brrrrrrrring!

The sound of an alarm clock rang and reverberated inside a sunlit room where the golden rays of light peeked through the windows on the opposite side of the room where a bed stood. The loud rings of the alarm bounced off the walls and danced around the bedroom, stirring the inhabitant from his slumber.

Brrrrrrrring!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring!-

Smash!

A young teenage boy, now of the age to be attending his first year of high school, grumpily groaned at the first signs of consciousness and chucked the alarm clock across his room, throwing it into the pile of other broken alarms in the corner.

"(That dream again? Huh... I thought I told her to stop buying those annoying ass alarms. Can that woman do anything right?)" Y/N grumbled and yanked the blankets off of his body, and began to get himself ready for the day. He did the usual of brushing his teeth, washing his face, combing his unruly H/C hair, and slipping into the male school uniform that his middle school had mandated: a simple black blazer, a white shirt underneath, and black pants with a tie to top things off. Though, he didn't look too excited to do the last task.

"Why the hell do I have to wear a uniform...?"

His heavy footsteps stomped down the stairs and to the right, heading into the kitchen where his mother was sitting at the table with her reading glasses resting on her nose. The light above shone down on her H/C hair that she had tied into a ponytail and the formal attire she wore for her job at the office. Aisha's E/C eyes were gentle and motherly as always, and she remained the same gorgeous woman she was all those years ago, but there were visible dark bags under her kind eyes now.

"H-Huh?" She looked up when she felt someone's gaze and hesitated slightly before giving her son a small smile. "O-Oh, you've woken up, Y/N baby?"

"I thought I told you to not call me that." Y/N hissed while grabbing his bag and lifting it over his right shoulder. His E/C eyes glowed dangerously and made Aisha back down with a hurt look in her similarly colored eyes.

"Oh, r-right. Sorry, son-"

"I also told you to not call me that either."

Aisha flinched when she heard the aggressive growl from her son and meekly kept her gaze on the kitchen table. Saying that their relationship had fallen off a cliff since that fateful day would have to be a severe understatement. Their relationship has changed into Y/N forcing Aisha out of his life while the heartbroken mother tried to make amends, no matter how unfair her situation was for she loved her son dearly.

"... S-Sorry, please don't be mad at me..." She whispered, her voice trembling with fear as she desperately begged for their already fragile bond to not be broken into even tinier pieces.

"Tch. Whatever." Y/N scoffed and left the kitchen, sitting on the front steps of the house and putting on his shoes, while Aisha followed after him.

"E-Eh? Wait, I made breakfast for you-"

Thud!

Y/N punched the wall to his left with his back facing Aisha. He looked over his shoulder and sent a chilling glare at the poor mother that shut her up before she could say another word

"I don't care what you do with it. You can eat it or throw it out for all I care. Just leave me the hell alone, bitch." He growled before opening the front door and leaving Aisha in shambles, slamming the door behind him.

Aisha slumped to the ground and gingerly wiped away the tears in her eyes with shaky hands and a sad smile. This was a common occurrence in their household for the past several years, Aisha thought to herself, and yet, she wondered why her heart still felt like it was being torn apart with each passing day of this daily routine of sorrow and hatred. 

She wondered why she hadn't gotten already used to this and she knew why: Even though she knew nothing was going to change and things would only get worse, she still held onto a glimmer of hope that one day the son she loved would come back through those doors and call her "mom" again.

Timeskip

Y/N walked down a street with his hands in his pocket, heading towards the school with an annoyed look. Taking a quick glance at his phone, he saw that he was going to be late for his first day at this rate and shrugged.

"(Damn it...)" He held his stomach as it growled at him ferociously to feed himself. It certainly didn't help that the avenue he was treading down was filled with exceptional restaurants and bakeries that all let out delicious aromas that made his stomach nag at him to buy something to nourish himself.

"(Fine, if it'll shut my stomach up-)" Y/N reached into his pocket and froze. He continued to pat around his pockets and felt nothing but his legs, coming to a horrid realization: he had forgotten his wallet at home with his mother.

Growling, he shook his head and carried on, not wanting to return home and see his mother more times than he had to. Unfortunately, the rather peaceful yet boring walk to school had left him with little to think about and further worsened his resentment towards her.

Thankfully, entertainment soon came in the form of a group of high schoolers walking out of one of the restaurants with the bonus being that they were delinquents from a different school. Y/N could hear the commotion revolving around him, something about not paying up, and smiled. At least, he could use the excuse of 'helping' out the store with dine-and-dashers.

"Oi, fuckers." The group of fourteen high schoolers or so turned toward the source of the voice and found themselves being stared down by Y/N who had a wicked smirk on his face and tossed his bag to the ground. "You fuckers down for a beating?"

"Who the hell is this kid!?"

"Who the hell cares!? He's mocking us if he thinks he can take all of us on! Kick his ass!"

They rallied behind one another and charged Y/N at the same time who merely smiled and cracked his knuckles.

Perhaps in their schools, they would be the top dog, but in the streets where Y/N lived, they were nothing but prey for his fists that many of his victims would describe as the fangs of a tiger. And now, the high schoolers felt the same fists that nearly crippled men before them and were shown how deadly Y/N's punches were. It was a miracle that they were even still alive.

Y/N stood tall without a single scratch and had a disappointed look on his face when he gazed upon their unconscious bodies and bloodied faces.

"This is pathetic..." He murmured and picked up his bag, pushing his right arm back through the strap and leaving the near-dead students on the floor. Y/N shoved his hands back into his pockets and continued on his dreaded march to school...

Timeskip

Y/N stood outside of his homeroom class and could hear the murmurs of his classmates, all of whom were already well acquainted with him except for his teachers.

With little effort, he kicked the door open, nearly kicking it off the hinges. Immediately, the room fell into a hushed silence as everyone turned to look at the door.

Y/N entered the room with his eyes closed and used his left leg to slam the door closed behind him. He opened his eyes and sent a glare at everyone in the room, from the nervously sweating students to the grumpy old man standing behind the desk in the front next to him.

"And who are you, Mr. Late?" Y/N's homeroom teacher asked, pulling out his clipboard and looking over the list of names before directing his sharp gaze at the young boy. The old man had a frown that seemed to be common, given how the room was already dull before the H/C-haired boy had even arrived.

"Y/N. Remember it, old bastard, because it'll probably be the highlight of your life." The troublesome middle school first-year laughed before taking a seat in the back, kicking the previous occupant out of the spot as they scrambled to take the farthest available seat. 

Y/N could see his homeroom teacher gritting their teeth, the tension obvious in their jaw, and about to pop a vein. He merely smirked and propped his feet on top of his desk, concluding: he was going to have a good time here.

School days continued in a similar fashion with Y/N either arriving late or not even bothering to attend classes. It was a similar case back home with him coming around midnight and ignoring the questions from his concerned mother who was growing increasingly worried about what he was doing out so late.

The highlight of his school days was doing everything in his power to get inside of his teachers' heads and establish a stance of superiority by beating the crap out of delinquents from his and other schools. His classmates grew terrified of how overwhelmingly strong he was, but also felt safe, to an extent, knowing that they knew someone capable of wiping the floor with students from the other schools. In a way, he was their hero and villain.

Stoking the flames of frustration and fueling the anger of his homeroom teacher, it didn't take long for the elderly man to finally snap and report this to the principal.

"Never in my life have I met a more stubborn and infuriating student than Y/N!" Y/N's homeroom teacher screamed his woes to the principal: a kind-hearted man with a big heart and an even bigger belly. "He refuses to show up to class and consistently gets into trouble with the authority when he's off prancing around the city, causing more problems! Even when he does show up to class, he makes every effort to disrupt the flow of the classroom and impede the progress of the other students! Not to mention, he dares question my way of teaching! The audacity! I emphasize the expulsion of Y/N, not just for the sake of the other students' education but also for the sanity of the other well-spoken faculty members such as I!"

"Now, now. His grades and exam scores are fine - perfect even, though his attendance is another matter entirely." An older man began to try and ease the tension in the room with an uneasy smile. He had taken over the position after the previous one had quit due to the board refusing to expel a certain rampant delinquent. "I believe he is just a misguided soul in need of... direction." He turned towards the door to his office and called out for someone. "Mr. Mutou? Can you come in?"

"Sir." A man in his mid-thirties entered the room. He wore the standard black suit, white collared shirt, black tie, and black dress pants many people would wear for interviews. The most striking characteristic about him was his well-built body which was the result of many years of exercising, the calm demeanor he upheld, and his oddly natural hair color that could be best described as a pale blue.

"Mr. Mutou, this is the homeroom teacher of the young man that I informed you on. I will entrust the boy with you."

"You cannot be serious! Hiring someone to teach Y/N will not solve the temper of that...! That...! That no-good slacker!"

"Sir," Mutou spoke in his soothing voice. "please do not speak ill of such a young man with a bright future ahead of him. I have a daughter of the same age and I can only wish that someone else I know was as expressive as Mr. Y/N when it came to communication. Allow me to try first before making your judgment."

Y/N's homeroom teacher opened his mouth to protest until he saw the confident look in Mutou's eyes. "... V-Very well..." He muttered and began to make his way towards the door, but stopped to place his hand on the newcomer's shoulder. "I'm counting on you, Mr. Mutou."

"Understood, sir." Mutou said with the utmost confidence as the teacher nodded and left the room.

"Now that that's been taken care of..." The principal pulled out a contract and handed it over to Mutou to skim through as the man took a seat. "We should begin to discuss any final adjustments. Are the accommodations to your liking, Mr. Mutou?"

"Everything is fine, sir, but I have one last request to make."

"Oh? Then, please speak up and I will try my best to make it happen."

"My daughter and I have moved here recently for this job. Is it possible for her to enroll in this school?"

The principal smiled and let out a chuckle, "That's it? I can easily arrange for that. Although, there is a possibility that she and Y/N may share the same homeroom and class. Are you comfortable with that?"

Mutou smiled as well, "I see no issue with that. In fact, I would like for her to be in the same class as young Y/N. I believe she could learn a thing or two from being in the same environment as this young man."

Giving each other a nod of respect, they both got up and shook each other's hands.

"It's a deal."

Timeskip

Y/N couldn't believe that his mother had begged him to come to school on this day.

"(It's a fucking Monday! At least make me come on a Friday.)" He screamed internally and growled quietly, planning to simply sleep through the entire morning until lunch and leave during the small break.

"Class? May I have your attention?" Y/N banged his head on the table in response. "That includes you too, Y/N." He could hear the disdain in his homeroom teacher's voice and gave him the middle finger to which the older man sighed, surprising Y/N. His teacher would usually take that opportunity to scold him for "inappropriate gestures," as he called it. "Today, we will have a new student joining us. I would ask that all- I mean, MOST of you give her a warm welcome and for the person sitting next to her to show her around the school during lunch! Please come in, young miss!"

Y/N couldn't care less about the new student and continued to try to fall asleep, but failed to do so due to his classmates' whispers.

"Waah! She's so pretty!"

"Do you think that her hair is natural?"

"Kyaah! She's so cute!"

With a hiss, Y/N finally looked up and locked eyes with the girl standing in front of the room, wearing the female school uniform. He had to admit, she was pretty damn cute with her pale blue locks of hair and piercing blue eyes that made him shift uncomfortably when they found themselves staring into each other's eyes.

"Please, introduce yourself, young miss."

The girl nodded and stepped up, bowing, "Yes, sir."

Y/N rolled his eyes and placed his head back on the table.

"(Another stuck-up rule follower.)" He scoffed and returned to trying to fall asleep and sleep through the morning lessons. "(She's just another forgettable face.)"

The day continued as usual with the addition of the new girl that he couldn't be bothered to learn the name of showcasing her elite-level intellect and determination to prove herself. No matter the class or subject, she was put in the spotlight and performed spectacularly by answering all of the teachers' questions perfectly without any margin of error.

"Excellent work! If only SOME students would follow your example!"

Y/N merely rolled his eyes at his teacher's blatant jab at him and groaned with annoyance, praying for the day to go faster so he could finally leave. As luck would have it, the moment he finished praying, the school bell rang, reverberating throughout the entire school and signaling the end of morning classes.

"Finally!" He shouted, startling everyone as his voice was louder than the school bell itself. He opened the window next to him before leaping out, much to the concern of the new girl who was surprised to see that their classmates and teacher were unperturbed by the brazen action.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. He does that every time and never comes back after lunch is over. He can always use the excuse that he was at school and vice versa for the teachers." One of the female students explained as the new girl nodded and returned to her seat to pack her belongings, but not before looking out the window at the lone silhouette in the distance getting farther and farther. She listened to her classmates talking about freakishly powerful Y/N was, but they neglected to mention his name, confusing the new student. 

"(Were they so scared of him that they wouldn't dare mention his name?)" She wondered.

By the time she realized it, she was the last and only one left in the classroom as the other students had already left with their friends. Sighing to herself, the new girl picked up her bag and opened her door to see her father introducing himself to her teacher.

"Good afternoon, madam. My name is Mutou, I'm sure the principal mentioned me?"

"Ah, yes! I've heard, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mutou."

The new girl watched them speak and waited until her teacher left before she approached her father, "Father? What are you doing here?"

"Haha, is it wrong for me to check up on my daughter after her first day of school?"

"I still have classes after lunch."

"Haha, you should learn to take it easy. The other students in your class and grade are average - well, except for one person. Speaking of whom," Mutou looked around for someone. "Where is he?"

"Where is who?"

"Y/N. Did you catch a glimpse of him? He should be in your class."

"... Y/N...? I don't remember meeting someone with that name. Why are you looking for him, father?"

Mutou began to explain the situation to his daughter, telling her that he was in charge of keeping the young man in check.

"Hm, I understand, father... And, how did you plan on doing that?"

"Haha, is that even a serious question?" He smiled and it took a few minutes for the girl to realize what he was planning.

"You don't mean..."

"Cancel all sessions at the dojo for the next seven days. I'm sure the other students will understand if their 'junior master' tells them off."

Mutou's daughter nodded without any argument but was a bit disappointed at the same time. At least, she thought to herself, she would get the chance to see how her father would handle this delinquent that required a professional martial artist's assistance.

As for Mutou, he began to ask around to see if anyone had seen the student he was hired to watch over and was shocked when he heard that the boy had leaped out the five-storied window and ran off for the day. He was certainly expecting a troublesome rebel, but not to such an extent!

Luckily for him, he was able to learn from the students what direction Y/N would usually go and swiftly made his way in that direction, but he also heard what they had to say about the young man. 

He had originally considered Y/N, from what he could gather, to be a simple young man with more energy than the average person with no way of letting it all loose or even an immature student that was seeking the attention of his peers. Now, he wasn't too sure of what to make of this Y/N person and decided to start from scratch by introducing himself to the boy and going on from there.

In the distance, Mutou could see a crowd forming down the avenue of commercial stores and other buildings with flashy signs, tailor-made to draw the attention of young adolescents like arcades, bakeries, and such. 

The martial artist rushed over, his worries increasing with each step he took and each horrified whisper he heard from the civilians. He pushed through the crowds of people and frowned at the horrid sight in front of him: Y/N standing tall without a scratch amidst the piles of beaten-down people while his bag was tossed on the ground a good distance away.

Mutou patiently observed as Y/N did nothing and merely yawned as the on-lookers continued to whisper among themselves and take pictures. Eventually, the young man's patience wore thin and he got up, whirling his right arm in a complete 360 motion to loosen the muscles, and began to make his way towards the crowd.

"Any of you wanna scrap?! If not, then get the hell out of my sight!" The ferocity behind his words had an immediate effect as everyone dispersed, leaving with fear written all over their faces. Almost everyone. 

With a triumphant smirk on his face, Y/N lifted his foot and was about to stomp it down on the head of one of the defeated men but was stopped by Mutou intervening.

"Stop! They're already defeated!" The man shouted and grabbed Y/N by his uniform, pulling him away. 

Mutou remembered a fond memory of his: a time when he, his non-yet deceased wife, and daughter went to the zoo. He fondly remembered his daughter's fascination with the tiger exhibit and jokingly asked if she wanted to go inside to which she shook her head frantically and his wife scolded him harshly.

However, at this moment, he wasn't laughing and joking anymore, not when all of his senses were telling him that he was in danger and feeling like he was in a cage with a wild tiger.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Mutou. The principal hired me to chaperone you from now on."

"Chaperone... me?"

"Yes," Mutou offered a small smile and an extended hand. "he's hired me to ensure you don't cause any more trouble for the school or your peers, but I believe your safety is more important."

Y/N's furrowed eyebrows made Mutou wonder if he was getting through to the hardheaded student and, for a moment, he believed he did. "Oh~? And, here I thought that the old bastard was senile, but I was wrong..." Mutou saw the smallest twitch in the hostile teenager's hand and his instincts took over, swiftly blocking a punch that a normal person would have never seen coming, sending him skidding backward. "He's going bat-shit insane!"

Mutou's eyes widened when he felt the impact of Y/N's punch. Having not expected such a devastating blow, he had let his guard down and took the full brunt of the blow without much consideration put behind his actions.

"(That's no normal punch...)" Mutou's eyes widened and he regained his bearings, his experienced mindset returning to him. "(But, his swings are too wild and wide.)" He dodged the next punches before stepping forward and thrusting his right hand forward, pressing two fingers against Y/N's throat, effectively stopping him and making him back off.

"You're... You're different."

"I would appreciate it if you don't badmouth my boss."

"I don't give a damn about your boss, I'm going to enjoy putting you into the dirt now." Y/N's animalistic smile made its way back  onto his face as he readied himself to leap forward

"Hang on!" Mutou backed up with his hands held up. 

"Hah? What now? I'm not going to pull my punches."

"Of course, I would expect nothing less... But, I may." Mutou answered and, for the first time, Y/N put his fists down.

"What do you mean?"

"I would get into a lot of trouble if I was caught fighting with a student at the school I work at. However, if it were just a simple sparring session, then it wouldn't be as troublesome."

"Sparring? You own a dojo or some shit, old man?"

"Haha... Well, I wouldn't be bringing this up if I didn't, no would I? Here's the address." He handed over a card. "If you have the chance, swing by. Next week, I'll be free from all the paperwork-"

"'Next week?' What the hell are you on about!? We're settling this right now! I'm not waiting until next week to scratch this damn itch of mine!"

"Today? I have a class to run today and-"

"It's either later today or right now, you old bastard! Make your choice!"

Mutou pondered the unexpected hand of cards Y/N had given him and tried to think of a way to play them the best he could. After spending several minutes mulling his choices over, he gave his answer, "Next week. If you want me to fight at my 100%, then you'll wait."

"A week!? You fucking son of a... Fine. I'll wait-"

"Hold on. If you wish to challenge me, then you must adhere to my conditions." Y/N raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, and Mutou took this as a 'go ahead' from him. "First, you must attend your classes for a week straight AND stay until the other students leave. Second, you must not cause any disturbances to your peers during classes. Third, you cannot get into any fights. If you think you can get away without me knowing, then just know that my daughter is in your class and will monitor you."

Y/N glared at Mutou, a scowl making its way onto his face. For a moment, Mutou wondered if he went too far until he heard the boy scoff and went over to pick up his bag with his back turned, shoving the card he had given him into his pocket. 

"... Fine. But, I also have a condition of my own." The young student looked over his shoulder. "Do you have students there?"

"Hm? Yes, we do. Are you perhaps interested in joining?" Mutou asked, surprised by the sudden question. However, all that did was bring out an arrogant grin on Y/N's face and a dangerous glint in his E/C eyes.

"Nah," Y/N raised his free hand and clenched it into a fist, the veins on his hand were visible for Mutou to witness.

"I just want them to watch when I break you in half."

"I see..." Mutou frowned as he instinctively got serious, feeling the bloodlust from this thing that he would barely consider to be a human. 

"Then just know that you may be disappointed by what happens."

"Hoh~? Then, you better live up to your promise." Y/N closed his eyes and began to walk off into the distance while Mutou watched him with a frown and walked away as well.

Timeskip

Y/N closed the front door to the house. It had remained unchanged since that fateful day with the only difference being the angle of perspective, now that he was much taller.

Taking a deep sigh, he tossed his bag onto the couch in the living room and made his way toward the kitchen. He swung open the fridge and scoured for anything to drink, pulling out a cold bottle of water and chugging it down in one gulp. With little care, he threw the bottle at the kitchen counter and didn't bother to pick it up when it fell to the floor as his attention was on something else: a neatly-written-in-cursive note left behind on the table along with a still-hot bowl of noodles, covered by a veil of plastic.

[Hey, Y/N baby. I know that you still don't want to talk with me so I thought that the next best thing I can do is communicate with you through paper-]

"Tch." Without reading the rest of the note, Y/N left the note and bowl alone, throwing himself onto the living room couch. 

"She needs to mind her own damn business..." He muttered and frowned, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about his mother before he shook his head and let out a growl. "I don't care about her."

Y/N closed his eyes and began to doze off while listening to the ceiling fan spin, enjoying the familiar sound of the motor's humming and the blades cutting through the air repeatedly. The tranquility and serene silence of the house was a common occurrence as he and his mother rarely spoke to each other nowadays mostly due to his complicated view of Aisha as well as her new office job.

But during moments like these where he had no distractions, he often quietly found himself thinking over his life. 

He had no friends.

He pushed away the only family he had.

And, he had nothing worthwhile going on with his life.

What was he still living for? 

What was driving him forward?

Y/N slowly opened his eyes, looking at his hands, and whispered lowly while clenching them into fists, "Strength... Power... These are the only things necessary to me. My fists are the only friends that I need." He leaped off the couch and began to stretch with one goal in mind: destroy that man and prove that he's the strongest to himself and others.

Timeskip

The bells signaling the end of morning classes rang as usual, but the situation and atmosphere in the room were far from normal during the past seven days.

Beads of sweat ran down everyone's neck, except for a select few, including the teacher. There was nothing special planned today and classes were perfectly fine - without any outbursts or disruptions from the students. The teachers were all able to get through their lessons smoothly and the students actually learned something that day. The only sounds in the room throughout the entire day were the noises of paper turning, pencil scribbling, and the teacher's voice alone.

And, there lies the problem: Y/N was still here and waiting patiently for lunch to be over with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"T-This makes it seven days now, r-right?!"

"W-Why is he still here!? This isn't normal!"

"How should I know!? Why don't you go ask him!?"

"Hell no! I don't want to die!"

Y/N could hear the whispers of concern from his classmates and let out a quiet sigh that in itself was enough to warrant the complete attention of everyone present. After hearing their hushed murmurs and irritating theories, he had only one thing to say, "Shut up."

For a single second, a pin could have dropped and everyone in the school could have heard it. However, not a moment later, terrified screams filled the halls as everyone rushed out to get as far away as possible.

In a few minutes, Y/N was left alone. Almost alone.

"You're not running away like the others?"

The only one left was the new girl who remained sitting in her seat, reading a book about Chinese mythologies.

"I fail to see any reason to follow suit."

"Heh... You got a name?"

"Hua. My name is Hua."

"'Hua?' Pfft, what a stupid name." Y/N laughed.

"Oh?" 

Y/N could see that he was getting through to Hua with the angry tick mark on the back of her head. 

"Then, tell me what's yours?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? Ask around. I'm sure you'll find out soon."

"I'm not interested in playing your games."

"I can tell. You're just one of those girls that stick their nose in books and delude themselves in their fantasies."

"The pot calling the kettle black - isn't that right...?"

Y/N's smile was replaced with a frown as he opened his eyes and sent a glare that, under any normal circumstance, would have left the receiver quaking in their boots.

"I'm not afraid of you," Hua stated in a matter-of-the-fact tone, closing her book and placing it into her bag on the floor. "you're just a big fish in a little pond. It's about time for something to swallow you up."

"Interesting..." Y/N finally got up from his chair and walked over to Hua's seat, slamming both hands on the table while she remained unfazed, returning the glare. "And, who's going to do that? Is it going to be you, small fry?"

With lightning-quick speed, Hua grabbed Y/N by his tie and pulled him closer to the point where their faces were inches apart. In a normal state of mind, she might have blushed and backed away immediately, but her anger was overriding her better judgment. She heard what the others said about him and had never felt as disgusted in her life to hear such a strong individual picking on those weaker than him. It went against everything she was taught by her father!

"I would gladly enjoy teaching you a lesson." Hua said, her blue irises glowing with an ethereal light.

"Oho~? Isn't that why we're here in school?" Y/N asked, his E/C orbs also glowing. "To learn something new? Then, you better get to work, Master Hua."

"Ahem! Am I interrupting something?"

Y/N and Hua looked to the door to see Mutou standing there, and backed up with equally flushed red faces. Behind him were several students who happened to be passing by taking photos of a rare moment: a moment where Y/N showed emotions other than anger and... more anger. They soon ran away when the mentioned person was about to leap at them, only stopped by Mutou's quick reflexes.

"Let me go! I'm gonna fucking kill them!"

"Stop it. Remember our deal, you promised not to get into any fights."

"It's not going to be a fight! It's gonna be a massacre! They're two completely different things!"

"Father? You know this... boy?" Hua looked at Mutou, her flustered appearance from before disappearing.

"(She's calling me a 'boy' when we're the same age...) So, she's your daughter? I expected more."

"Well, what did you expect?"

"Hm..." Y/N pondered Mutou's question for a moment before giving his answer, growing a condescending smirk. "Strong. I thought she would be strong."

"Grrr..." It was a rare sight for the calm and collected daughter of Mutou to be this agitated, but it was understandable. If you replaced her with anyone else around her age, then they would have fainted on the spot from feeling the bloodlust from Y/N.

"That's enough." Mutou stepped protectively in front of his daughter, adjusting his tie with a frown on his face. "I'm adding a fourth rule: you aren't allowed to show any signs of hostility towards my daughter."

"Grrr..." Y/N growled at Mutou before turning to Hua with his best smile, "Let's g-get along, Hua!"

"... Father. Please revoke that rule. The thought of him being nice is sending chills down my back..." Hua whispered to her father as they turned their back and continued to whisper to each other while Y/N could hear everything and was getting irritated.

"I know, Hua. You just have to endure until the end of the day."

"The end of the day...? Then, that means he's..."

"Correct. He's the student I told you about: Y/N."

"'Y/N...?'" Hua stared at Y/N, looking him up and down before saying, "And, you had the confidence to say with a straight face that my name is weird?"

"Well, don't you have quite the tongue on you... Maybe, I should tear it- Ack..." The male student remembered Mutou's rules and bit his tongue. "... Zip it, washboard."

"Excuse me!?"

"Well, since everything seems to be in order, I'll leave the two of you alone for now." Mutou left the room with a smile, remembering the sight of those two unconsciously releasing their ki towards each other in a clash of willpower. He had never seen his daughter showing such emotions before and smiled internally. "(Those two certainly have potential. I wonder...)" Mutou looked out the nearest window, admiring the clear skies while hearing their argument down the hall. "(How far those two can fly in the sky?)"

Timeskip

"That should be the last chair." Y/N let out a sigh of relief as he placed the last chair on the desk, upside-down.

The bell signaling the end of the school day had rung hours ago, but he had to stay behind and clean up for the other students. He didn't do it out of the kindness of his heart, but moreso to fulfill the part of the agreement he had with Mutou: "...stay until the other students leave." If anyone were loitering around, he had the authority to tell them to scram before he made them. At least, that was what he said to himself to cope.

"But..." Y/N looked across the room, at Hua who had joined him halfway and helped him with stacking up the seats. "Why are you here?"

"Someone has to watch over you or else this school may end up catching on fire."

"You think I'm some kind of idiot or something!?"

"No, of course not."

"Hmph. Good."

"I think you're probably below what we would call an idiot."

"Fuuuuuck you." Y/N flipped Hua off before walking over and grabbing his stuff in the corner. 

When he looked up, he could see her playing around with a ring on her hand that he hadn't noticed before, which wasn't saying much considering he barely paid attention to anyone else besides himself. "Nice ring. Your boyfriend give you that?" The male laughed and approached Hua who bit her lips. He hadn't seen the sad gleam in her eyes just yet. "C'mon, tell me. Who's the poor sap that gave you that sorry excuse for a-"

"It's my mother's... She gave it to me before she passed away." Hua answered, sliding down with her back against the classroom wall and tucking her legs in.

A stiffening silence enveloped the school with the main source being the room they were in.

"Oh. I see." was all Y/N had to say. His mouth opened and moved, yet, nothing came out. All the snide remarks and insulting scorns he was preparing were thrown out the window along with his arrogant smirk. 

He could feel an emotional wall being set up between him and Hua and felt that it was the right thing to back down. However, a stronger sensation within him urged him to speak more.

"I live alone with just one parent too." Y/N suddenly said, gaining Hua's attention as he sat down next to her. "My mom, to be exact."

"... How was it? What's your mother like?"

"She's..."

Hua saw the way his hands balled into fists, the dark flash in his eyes, and the terrifying smile on his lips.

"... alright. She's alright."

"Is that it?"

"... Yeah..."

"Surely, there has to be more be said. Was she a kind woman? A strict person? A proud mother?"

"She's the person I despise most in this world. The day she dies will be the happiest day of my life."

Hua's eyes widen and she thought to herself, "(How could a son say such a thing towards his mother!?)" But, she quickly shook her head and noticed something bright in the dark abyss that was his ki. It was a tiny fragment of white amidst the blackness of his heart. "You care about her, don't you?"

"That's enough of this pointless conversation," Y/N said darkly, the tone of his voice indicating that this was the end of the conversation. "Show me where your father's dojo is. So, I could forget that all of this happened."

Hua's gaze lingered on him for a moment before she nodded, standing up and leaving the room with Y/N. They passed the many classrooms, the bathrooms, the faculty areas, the water fountain in the central courtyard, and the front lockers, and left through the front entrance. During all this time, she could feel his stare on her. However, whenever she turned around, he would be looking anywhere else and the sensation would be gone just as quickly.

Grrr...

"What was that!?" Hua looked around, her senses heightened as a loud growl made her shiver.

"W-Who knows?" The boy behind her muttered with no trace of urgency as she did.

"Was that a bear!? Was that a beast!? Was that-" Another chorus of growls could be heard and Hua's expression transformed from alert to disappointment when she realized it was coming from behind her. "... Are you hungry?"

"... No."

Hua sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose at the stubbornness shown by Y/N, and grabbed his hand. "Let's go." She said and veered off from the sidewalk they were on.

"Where are you taking me!?"

"There." She pointed at a local bakery and dragged a whining Y/N towards the store, ignoring his complaints of them being late.

The glass door swung open with ease as they stepped inside the air-conditioned establishment and they both let out a content sigh when they felt the cold rush of air. "Aaaaah..." They sighed at the same time. 

After that, Y/N and Hua scanned the loaves of bread out on the open shelves and the ones behind the glass counters.

"Woah..." Hua whispered and Y/N closely watched the way her eyes and face lit up. 

"(Cute...)" He thought and immediately smacked himself across the face.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Hua looked up when she heard the smack and grew concerned when she saw the red handmark on his face.

"It's nothing..." He hissed.

"Hm... If you say so. What do you want?"

"Just buy double what you want."

"Alright," Hua called over the employee behind the counter: an old lady with a mean frown. "Can I get two of the hotdog buns? Thank you."

The old woman didn't bother to return the smile and instead looked Hua up and down. Y/N could tell what she was thinking: "(She's too nice to stick up for herself! I can make some easy money.)".

"40 Yuans [~$5.99]."

"4-40!? But, the tag said it was only 13 Yuans [$1.99] each-"

"Little missy! I'm the owner of this bakery and can change the prices whenever I want! It comes with the territory! If you don't want to pay up, then get out!"

Hua frowned and nodded in defeat. She was about to reach into her pocket for her wallet until Y/N stopped her and stepped up to the counter.

"It's 26 Yuans, old hag. You either take it or we keep it and take buns anyways. How does that sound?"

"H-How dare you! Do you have any idea who my grandson is!? I should-" The employee was about to go off on a tangent until she looked Y/N in the eyes and found herself overwhelmed by the dark glare he was giving her.

"I don't recall saying that you're allowed to speak. Now, hurry up and decide before I put you six feet under."

"... 2-26 Yuans..."

Hua quickly paid and nabbed the buns, pulling Y/N out of the store and far away as possible. They stopped at the nearest bench in the park nearby.

"What was that!?" She shouted and wheeled around to face Y/N.

"I was helping you."

"You didn't have to threaten her..."

"Hua," Y/N placed a hand on her shoulder. "don't ever let anyone walk all over you. If you let them the first time, then they'll continue to do so until they get bored or have no use for you."

"..." Hua didn't say anything and sat down, nibbling on her hot dog bun while Y/N did the same. "My father taught me that violence is never the answer and I should only use my fists to protect what's important to me and others. That's why, as a martial artist, I cannot thank you."

Y/N shrugged and crossed his legs, facing away from her.

"But, as a person..." Hua leaned her head against his back, surprising him greatly as she could feel him stiffen at her touch. "Thank you."

"Gah!" Y/N stood up and shoved the rest of his food into his mouth, and tossed the plastic away. "I-I didn't do that because I wanted your thanks, alright!? Let's hurry up!"

Hua smiled for the first time since she moved here upon seeing the tiniest hints of red in the male's ears and the faintest traces of steam exiting them.

"(... He's kinda cute when he's like that...)" She thought before shaking her head.

Timeskip

"We're here."  Hua announced after twenty minutes of walking together. They attracted many stares from students from their school and other individuals that knew who Y/N was.

The traditional hall was located next to their two-storied house and was a modest, upkept building with a large single room designated for indoor lessons and a larger front courtyard for outdoor classes. Brown tiles made up the curved rooftops of the dojo while the building was made out of wood painted red. Tall, smooth, gray stone walls made up the courtyard's perimeter, standing proud after all the years of weathering and erosion beating them down. The bright flowers of the gardens outside these walls were watered and nurtured by Mutou alongside his beloved daughter so they could shine brilliantly under the rays of sunlight.

Y/N whistled at the magnificent sight, "Not bad. To be honest, I was expecting a shack in the middle of the forest." He commented as he continued to follow Hua across the courtyard and towards the foreboding doors leading to the dojo's inside chamber.

Hua paused when she placed her hands on the surface of the door.

"What's up?"

"Nothing... It's just... I don't want to see my father hurt-" 

Y/N scoffed, about to laugh at her until he heard the second part of her sentence.

"-but, I also don't want to see you hurt."

"!?" Y/N's eyes went wide for a second before he gritted his teeth and hardened his resolve to fight. "Don't worry about me. You should just worry about your old man."

"Perhaps... Tell me," Hua looked over her shoulder. "Why do you wish to fight my father?"

Y/N looked into her eyes and said, "Because he is strong. The only way I can tell myself that I am the strongest is to beat down the strong."

"You want to get stronger? For what?"

"To prove that I'm the strongest there is. To prove to myself that I'm not the same person I was back then. To prove that I don't need anyone else in my life."

"That is a sad existence."

"And it is not your place to comment on it."

"Then tell me, what does it mean to be strong? Does it mean to be physically fit and a capable fighter? Does it mean to be mentally sound and always ready for the unexpectedness of the future? Or, does it mean to be in tune with your emotions and to remain as transparent as possible?"

Y/N, stunned by her sudden questions, doesn't have a response for the first time in a long while - not even a snide remark.

"There is little point to seeking power without an ample reason. Keep that in mind, Y/N." Hua whispered before she opened the doors. 

Golden lights spilled from the room and momentarily blinded both of them. 

When their vision adjusted, they saw Mutou sitting on his knees in the center of the room, drinking a hot cup of tea while the teapot say to his left.

"Father... What is the meaning of this!?" Hua fanned her arm outward towards the other students who were present and watching from the sidelines.

"Woah, wait a sec. Isn't the person standing next to Ms. Hua the 'Bohai Tiger!?'"

"Holy shit, I think you're right! M-Master Mutou is going fight against that monster."

"I'm sorry, Hua," Mutou began, a bead of sweat running down the back of his head when he felt the glare coming from his daughter. "This was part of the agreement."

"Agreement?"

"Perfect~!" Y/N stepped past Hua and glanced around the room with a smile that was soon replaced with a frown. "They're all weak." He whispered to Hua who smacked his arm and swiftly approached her father.

"Father, explain to me why the other students are here!"

"Hua. If you wish to, then you may ask Y/N afterward."

"But-" Hua stopped when she noticed that her father's attention was on something going on behind her and she heard the murmurs of the dojo students.

"Hey, isn't that Yang?"

"I heard that he's the third strongest after Master Mutou and Ms. Hua."

Hua turned to see that one of the students had gotten up and was squaring off with Y/N. She recognized him to be the most troublesome student in the dojo who was always flirting with the female students and barely practicing the stances her father had taught them. He reminded Hua of her initial thoughts about Y/N, but instead of getting better the more she learned of him like with Y/N, Yang was the opposite and her view of him worsened. However, she would admit that he was still exceptionally strong and considered a fighting prodigy.

"You're the one who challenged Master Mutou? Don't make me laugh! You're some kid who doesn't know what he's getting into!" Yang patted Y/N on the shoulder. "Why don't you go home and go back to your mommy?"

"What do you think, Hua?" Hua looked back at her father who patted the spot next to him and she reluctantly sat down. "Who do you think is going to win?"

"Well... If I were to base it off my initial impressions, I would say Yang because I know what he can do... B-But, that isn't to say that... Uh, I mean..."

Mutou laughed at the sight of his normally stoic daughter so obviously crushing on the boy. "Hua. Just be honest with yourself. You want Y/N to win, right?"

Hua's face reddened slightly and she kept her gaze to the floor, "Y-Yes..."

"Haha, I don't think I've ever seen you like this, Hua. But, you were right. It seems that my small break is over." Mutou stood up after a loud thump. Hua looked up to see Yang slumped over on the floor after a quick punch to the gut.

Without much effort, Y/N picked the student up and tossed him aside like a bag of garbage before returning his gaze to Mutou.

"Please don't throw my students around like that."

"Finally, you've stopped running! I've been waiting forever!" The same hungry look in Y/N's eyes from back then returned as he grinned at Mutou, baring his fangs, as the older man took a deep breath and assumed his fighting stance.

"(This... This is Y/N when he's fighting!?)" Hua, unlike the other students, could feel the ki of Y/N and Mutou swirling together while also crashing against each other.

The commotion in the room had completely vanished without a single trace of ever existing. Neither Y/N nor Mutou moved while their eyes were locked and their faces serious as they respected the other's fighting prowess. 

However, that soon changed when Hua barely saw the smallest twitch in Y/N's legs - the only warning sign before he dashed forward, low to the ground, and threw a devastating low uppercut with his left hand. The young girl could hardly see the motion, but her father was easily able to keep up and dodged the completely reckless punch. Y/N's upward swing had all the weight in his body put behind it and caused a small gust of wind to flow in the room.

"Not bad for an old coot."

"I'd prefer if you called me an owl rather than a coot." Mutou smiled before they continued their fight with Y/N using what he learned from fighting in the streets while the dojo's master used only what he taught.

"His first punch... missed?"

"B-But, if that had hit anyone of us..."

"(I can barely keep up...)" Hua's hands on her lap balled into fists as she grew frustrated watching them fight on equal footing. Her father was her ultimate in surpassing, but now Y/N threw all of that out the window with his arrival. Yet, she found it easy to let it all go and enjoy the spectacle in front of her, finding newfound determination to continue her training.

The sound of fists cutting through the air and colliding with arms raised to block the blows filled the room and echoed pleasantly. Y/N's young body and unorthodox fighting style gave Mutou some trouble as he had never encountered such an odd fighter. The speed of his punches was as quick as lightning, the power behind his punches felt like someone had slammed a sledgehammer on that part of his body, and Y/N's movements reminded Mutou of a stream of water, never stopping.

Unfortunately for the young man, as amazingly powerful as he was, the major difference between them was slowly made apparent.

Over the course of the next few minutes, Mutou swapped between palm strikes on the body and sharp finger jabs at his pressure points while dodging all of Y/N's sluggish counterattacks. Any normal person's strength and mobility would be waning with each critical hit at the smallest of cracks in their defense, and Y/N was no exception.

"Hey, Master Mutou is starting to win, isn't he? I've never seen him so serious before."

"That just means the Bohai Tiger is strong enough to make a master martial artist sweat!"

Mutou's students began to cheer him on, slightly distracting him a bit and almost making him miss one crucial detail. He knew he was hitting Y/N in the most vital areas and knew from his younger days under the training with his own master that his body should be crying out in pain, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of dread creeping up on him as the smile on Y/N's face didn't change.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Mutou asked before jabbing twice at the area between Y/N's left shoulder and chest. "Your body, that is."

"Heh... You kidding me?" Y/N's grin widened and Mutou tilted his head to the left when his opponent threw another wide uppercut but managed to send a few strands of pale blue hair into the air. "I've never felt more alive!" 

Y/N rushed forward as if the past minutes didn't matter and threw a right overhead punch that grazed the side of Mutou's head. Meanwhile, Mutou's own right fist was rapidly approaching Y/N's face and though he couldn't see it, the horrors in his students' faces were enough to tell him that the boy was smiling with that same crazed look in his eyes.

Hua watched as Y/N's feet moved with the weight of a feather and he rotated clockwise and stepped closer to her father to the point where Mutou's right fist wouldn't be able to reach him. A normal person would have been content with dodging the counter, but Y/N was far from normal and grabbed Mutou's right wrist with both hands and flipped him over his shoulder.

Mutou's body slammed into the floor with a loud thud, followed by complete silence that was broken by a cough from the man.

"Not bad... Not bad at all." Mutou said while getting up, a few strands of his hair were loose and faintly covered his face. However, everyone could see the serious look in his eyes now - even the most inexperienced of students could.

A faint aura of white energy began to surround Mutou as he took up his fighting stance once more.

"In a traditional scoring system, it would be 1 to 0, in your favor." Mutou said and motioned for Y/N to make the first move, but the boy was frozen in place when he felt the overwhelming pressure exerted by the dojo master.

Gritting his teeth, Y/N ran forward and threw a feint with his left and followed it up with an uppercut with his right. To his shock, Mutou easily swatted his hand away and struck his body with a palm strike, sending him skidding backward. The sudden difference in power overwhelmed Y/N's body and the excruciating pain forced him to his knees, grabbing his stomach that he thought had a gaping hole.

"Now, it's 1-1."

"He wasn't taking me seriously before!?" Y/N muttered to himself in disbelief before he got up and rushed forward again, only for a similar result to happen again and again. His punches were swatted away like he was a child, his feints were easy to read, and the power of his he thought to be unstoppable was being shattered with each unsuccessful attempt of getting another hit in.

"H-Hey, don't you think Master Mutou is getting carried away?" A girl next to Hua whispered to another student.

Y/N began to cough up spit and blood with each blow to his body and his head spun with each blow to the head. He could feel each hit and it felt as if Mutou's punches were tearing him from limb to limb as they struck home. The boy could barely defend against the barrage of punches from the master of martial arts and couldn't deal with the precise jabs stabbing into his body like a knife. He couldn't even throw a punch out of fear that one of Mutou's devastating punches would land and tear into his body.

"Father, you're taking this too far!" Hua shouted when she saw the desperate look in Y/N's eyes as she couldn't already imagine what he was going through mentally.

However, if Mutou could hear her, he wasn't showing it and continued to beat down Y/N, drilling into his head the difference between them.

"F-Father...?" Hua watched, confused by her father's actions.

"(I'm sorry, Hua. There's just one last thing I have to see before I call an end to this fight.)" Mutou apologized in his mind as he resumed using Y/N as a punching bag. He found no enjoyment in what he was doing as it was no longer martial arts and simply violence, but he wanted to test a theory of his.

"(When hunting down a wild animal, it undeniable that it is dangerous, but the most dangerous part is when...)" A punch to Y/N's guard pushed his hands out of the way and Mutou could see it: the shine in the young man's E/C eyes that told him that he would still fight, continue to stand in front of him, and not fall over without showing the world what he has. "(...is when they're backed into a corner.)"

Y/N stepped forward and swung wildly, his mind seemingly not having caught up yet, but his instincts were taking control of his body. Mutou could dodge all of those punches easily, though, he wasn't able to get another hit in amidst the flurry of swings.

"(That's it... You have the instincts of a fighter, Y/N... You just need discipline, guidance, and support. You and others may think you are a monster, but that's not true. Either way, it's not my place to tell you that...)" Mutou's right hand tightened with faint traces of his ki surrounding it. He waited and dodged until Y/N swung with his right fist, missing, and moved in for the final blow. "(For right now, I'll end this before you get seriously hurt-!)"

Mutou's eyes widened and another wave of dread washed over him when he saw Y/N's body stop itself and pivot clock-wise, his left fist aiming for the side of Mutou's head that was unprotected with an insane grin. At the speed he was moving, he would be able to make it before Mutou could guard. No matter how strong Mutou was, if he were to take a direct and unguarded hit - especially in the head, even he would be in danger.

"(Ha! You're just the rest, Mutou! You're only the so-called strongest because you haven't gone up against me! I'm the strongest, damn it! Me! Nothing can stop me! ...But," Y/N looked past Mutou to see Hua covering her mouth with tears in her eyes as she watched this bloodbath of what was supposed to be a normal spar and his smile dropped. 

The words from Hua earlier echoed throughout his head: "It's just... I don't want to see my father hurt, but I also don't want to see you hurt."

"(But, why can't I just throw this damn punch?)"  Y/N asked himself as he stopped himself just before his fist made contact, but Mutou's fist was already in motion and collided with his stomach. 

At the time, Y/N couldn't understand where the sudden warmth came from, but it was from Mutou's ki as it dispelled the darkness tainting his soul and driving out the evil from within his heart. All of the anger, disgust, and, above all else, bloodlust he held toward everyone that even merely sent a glance in his direction melted away into nothingness.

However, back in the physical plane of reality, the force made him hunch over and send him flying into the air and out the doors, violently landing on the stone ground of the courtyard and tumbling.

"(Huh... I never thought this floor would be cold...)" Y/N bitterly chuckled to himself with a weak smile as his vision dimmed and his body finally gave out. 

"(Is it the floor or am I dying?)" He asked himself as he could see Mutou and Hua running over to him with panicked expressions just before his strength was completely sapped.

"(Heh... And, I thought that losing was worse than dying... What a fool I am...)" Y/N thought before the need to close his eyes became too strong for him.

When he regained "consciousness," he found himself standing face-to-face with a younger version of himself in a black void.

"Are you proud of yourself?" The younger Y/N asked, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Are you proud of what you've become? Are you proud of what you've done to everyone around you? To Mama? To people who genuinely wanted to help you?"

"I..." Y/N shook his head as memories of his childhood from when he was even younger came flooding into his mind. 

He could remember going to the beach with his mother and building a sandcastle with her that was soon washed away by the tides. His cries were only silenced when his mother soothed him with a hug and promised him ice cream. 

He could also see the faces of the very few people that tried to reach a hand out to him, only to reel their hand back to see bite marks on them and leave him alone in the darkness, their faces disappearing one by one until only his mother's, Mutou's, and Hua's remained.

He remembered every rumor everyone made about him and the words whispered behind his back when they thought he couldn't hear them. 

"...I-I don't know who I am anymore... I don't even want to wake up..." Y/N muttered and sat down, curling up into a ball. Soon, he could feel a small hand patting his head and looked up to see the younger him crouching down slightly.

"What do you wanna be now?" The little boy asked and for the first time in a long time, Y/N didn't say anything. No answer. No stingy remark. No snarky response. Nothing other than silence.

"It's okay!" The kid smiled brightly, the tears in his eyes finally stopping. "You don't have to give an answer right now. You still have some time! But, you don't have to cry and hide your feelings anymore." He said and reached over to wipe Y/N's eyes with his sleeves, staining the fabric and surprising the older male who hadn't realized that he was crying. "You don't have to be angry anymore. Mama, Mr. Mutou, and Ms. Hua. They're all waiting for you when you wake up. So, please, don't push them away and let them help you. Can you pinkie promise me that?" A pinkie was held out to Y/N and he stared at the tiny finger, his thoughts in disarray. 

Did he deserve a second chance? 

Did he even deserve anyone's kindness? 

Was he wrong for pushing others away? 

These were all questions Y/N asked himself and found no answer in his heart.

Eventually, he cracked a tiny, fragile smile and slowly reached for it, and clasped his own pinkie around it. Perhaps the answer to his questions was a simple "yes" or "no," but staying here and wallowing in his own despair did no one any good. He would have to find the answer himself. 

"I promise." Y/N said before his younger self smiled brightly and the world around them shone brighter until he couldn't see anymore.

Timeskip

When Y/N finally woke up for real, he opened his eyes and was blinded by golden lights. Just like before in the dojo, it took him a few moments to adjust to the yellow rays.

"(Shit... Mutou packs one hell of a punch.)" From his lying-down position, he took a look around the room as best as he could from his lying-down position and he noticed that he seemed to be in a living room of sorts, but it wasn't his. 

Instead of his ceiling fan in the living room, this house had an AC installed that blasted jets of cold air throughout the entire house and made Y/N shiver. The gray couch he had slept on was brand new and comfortable, free from childhood stains, while the wool blanket covering him was warm and protected his aching body from the frigid air. The pillow under his head was the best he had ever felt with its extremely soft texture and the tranquility it invoked inside of him.

Y/N clutched his head as he tried to remember what happened before he went unconscious, only to feel bandages tightly wrapped around his head. He carefully lifted his shirt and patted his body to feel that the same had been done with his stomach.

"Where am I?" He asked no one in particular, the arrogant and rude manner he used to speak in was gone and replaced with the calm demeanor he had now.

"Mmmh?" 

Y/N heard the hum of a girl's voice and tilted his head upward as far as he could to see that Hua was sitting on the same couch as he was and beginning to wake up... And, she was now looking down at him... And, what he thought to be a soft pillow was her lap, causing his face to flush a bright red... And, she also seemed to realize this fact too, judging by her face also being red.

"U-Uhm... The pillows we usually have were placed in the wash and I wanted to make sure your head wouldn't be in discomfort! T-That's why I had to... Er..."

"I don't mind! I mean, it's n-no problem...!" 

Both of them averted their gaze and avoided making eye contact with each other, though, that was difficult to do with one having their head on top of the other's lap.

"Y/N, are you feeling well? That last strike from my father sent you flying out of the dojo..."

"Yeah, I'm fine. You know, my head used to feel so foggy, but, after that last punch..." Y/N massaged his head while Hua gently helped him to a sitting position. "Now, everything's all clear and it feels like I've woken up from a long nap." He flashed her a small smile - the first genuine one in a long time. "What happened after I was knocked out?"

"My father sent the other students home and I brought you back to our house."

"How is he? I didn't flip him over too hard, did I?"

"I'm more concerned for you, Y/N. That last punch..."

"Oh, right." Y/N smacked his stomach to which Hua gasped. "His punch was awesome!"

"What are you doing!? You're injured and yet you hit yourself!? Do you know how much power you have in your fists, it's enough to match my father's!"

"My 'power?'" Y/N shook his head and looked down at his hand, an unknown expression on his face that Hua hadn't ever seen before. "No, your father's power is greater than mine. I felt it in our fight, but I cannot comprehend what that feeling was. That is why I must..." He adverted his gaze, his H/C hair covering his eyes that no longer seemed unruly and wild.

"Must what?" Hua asked, her mind was listing possibilities, but she wasn't expecting him to follow it up by saying:

"I must ask you... Does the dojo have room for more students?"

"Y-You want to join the dojo? There is indeed space for more students, but..."

"What is it?"

"You'll have to ask my... father..."

Y/N could see the distraught look in Hua's eyes and grabbed her hands, being the one to surprise her this time.

"Hua, what happened?"

"After he made sure that you were in no critical condition, he turned himself into the police and is willing to accept any charges..." Hua could barely get the words out and broke down in tears, forcing Y/N to comfort her by embracing her.

"Is that it? Well, I'm not dead just yet. Let's go." Y/N patted her back and slowly stood up, fixing his clothes and getting used to the pain in his body.

"Where are you going?" Hua asked when he reached the foyer and began to put on his shoes.

"Where else? We're going to get your father out of the slammer. C'mon."

"Why are you helping him?" Hua stopped him before he opened the front door. "My father went too far and is the reason why you're in so much pain. You've been asleep for almost 24 hours!"

"2-24 hours!?... I didn't know that-... Wait, were you with me the entire time?" Y/N asked, drawing out a meek expression from Hua as the young girl looked away.

"O-Of course, I was! I was worried sick that my father might have put you in a coma and you would never wake up!"

"Oh..." Y/N didn't dwell on that fact for long and focused on the question thrown at him by the daughter of the martial artist. "He's still your father, right? Humans will make mistakes. That's why... We... We should learn to forgive..." With each pause between words, he thought of his mother who had no idea where he was now and suffering back home for far too long. Mutou's fists hurt hard as hell, Y/N could attest to that, but the guilt weighing down on him at the thought was hurting him tenfold - maybe even a hundredfold or thousandfold.

The guilt remained with him for the next several hours even after he and Hua got Mutou back, which was easy considering no police officer stationed there had an idea about what he was talking about when he barged in, begging to be locked up for hurting a minor. It even lingered in his mind after he asked Mutou about joining the dojo who was more than ecstatic to have him onboard - to the point where he was crying tears of joy and his daughter had to push him away with all of her strength, waving goodbye to him while they all laughed together.

"Oh, and, Y/N?" Hua called out to him and Y/N turned around in time to receive a peck on the cheek. "Please, don't use your fists for violence. You're far better than that..." She whispered before hurrying away to rejoin her father's side, leaving the young man stunned.

Eventually, he remembered how to walk and did just that, but the walk back home alone was a long one and left Y/N with much to think about.

The pain he had caused not just to his mother but to many others was finally catching up to him and he loathed the bitter taste it left in his mouth. Sure, there may have been some that absolutely deserved it, but who was he to decide these type of things? It sickened him when he thought of how many families might have gone through the same heartache as he and his mother simply because of him.

Then, he remembered the face that Hua made back then that stopped him before he almost landed a devastating blow on Mutou and he felt even worse.

Y/N hated himself. 

Y/N despised himself. 

Y/N loathed himself.

Y/N stopped and looked down at his hands that were instinctively clenched into two fists, and slowly unclenched them.

"...I don't want to hurt anyone anymore...." He mumbled to himself in a tired voice before slowly resuming his stroll home.

Eventually, Y/N stopped outside the front gate and admired the sight of the place he called home for his entire life underneath the silver moonlight. Back then, he wanted to move out and start a new life outside of Bohai City, but after meeting Hua and Mutou, he was actually glad that his mother didn't do that since the chances of him meeting them would have been next to zero. 

On his left, he could see the garden she built herself when he was an infant and watching her from the porch. Back then, it was still flourishing with colorful flowers, healthy foliage, and neatly kept soil. Now, however, there was nothing but dead flowers and weeds replacing the plants she used to grow, and the soil was spilling from the boxes after years of neglect from his mother.

At the thought of his mother, the tight grip around his heart returned and he grimaced at the memories of how he harshly treated her by shutting her out of his life and screaming at her for the pettiest of things. Yet, throughout it all, he could remember the love she held for him remaining strong and never once faltering when anyone else would have abandoned him long ago.

It was enough to bring him to tears as he quietly sobbed in the darkness of the front yard.

"Mom..." Y/N simply said to himself, his E/C gazing across everything they owned with tears of sorrow welling up in his eyes. He quietly walked up to the door and went to knock until he heard the sound of loud sobbing on the other side and felt pins stabbing into his heart.

Y/N turned away.

He wanted to run away...

He wanted to scream...

He wanted to hide in a place where no one would find him...

But, he stopped himself. After all, wasn't that what he was doing this entire time for the past long years?

Mustering up the courage and willpower left in his body, Y/N approached the door and brought his hand up to the wooden surface, and paused.

What was he supposed to say?

What could he say to make things right?

Then, suddenly the words popped up in his head almost as if they were patiently waiting for him to reach this point of his life and welcomed him with open arms.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door as the sobs quieted down and light footsteps slowly approached the door. 

When it opened, Y/N found himself face-to-face with his mother looking up at him with a tear-stained face and wide tearful eyes. He could see her wanting with every fiber of her body to dive into his arms but years of constant scolding from him stopped her, fearful of making her son upset again.

But, those days were gone now she realized as Y/N rushed forward and tightly held onto his mother, whispering to her a phrase that she was waiting to hear for what felt like an eternity:

"Mom, I'm home..."

His mother's eyes widened and tears fell from her eyes, the drops hitting the floor with a resounding plop that echoed throughout their house as she returned the hug with all of her strength and sobbed loudly into her son's shoulder. Together, they fell to their knees and poured their hearts out for the other to hear the many years of anguish, pain, and suffering they went through in their own way.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"So, that's how it is... This is why you cannot bring yourself to take the life of another? You're scared of returning to the person you once were? Pah! What foolish reasoning from this human!"

The Herrscher shook their head as they witnessed everything unfold in front of them and thought back to the Y/N they saw before meeting Hua, noting how similar they both were to each other.

"I wonder, was I born from his memories before he met 'Hua?' Huff. What a troublesome boy I've been paired with."

The Herrscher heard the sniveling screams of Rin and ultimately sighed, knowing that there was nothing that their vessel could do now, and made a decision...

Outside, in the real world, Rin and Sakura were at a loss for words at what they had watched. How much time has passed since the group of men began to beat down their friend while they were forced to watch with a knife held up to their throats? Minutes? Hours? They couldn't even begin to think, the only thing on their mind was the sight of the boy face-first on the ground with a pool of blood surrounding him as he laid there unmoving.

"Ahhh... You have no idea how satisfying that was." The young thug with the broken-off pipe that was now bent and bloodied from his recent use. He handed it back to the drunk man.

"Yeah, whatever. We're taking these two now. We'll ransom them back to their family because that piece of shit saved our original target." The criminals holding Rin and Sakura pressed the flat end of their knives against their hostages' throat, drawing out whimpers of fear.

"I couldn't care less about what you do to those two. I just wanted to beat the crap of that fucking loser." The two conscious cronies of the delinquent kicked Y/N's limp body while the third still hadn't regained consciousness just yet. "But..." The leader of the younger men looked Sakura up and down, noting how attractive she looked with the wet dress clinging onto her and the glare she was giving him. "Give me and my boys that one. She's gotta pay the price for her friend over here with her body." He licked his lips. 

Sakura's eyes widened as she realized what his intentions were and began to struggle.

"L-Let go!"

"Shh..." A hand covered Sakura's mouth as the teenager smirked upon seeing the desperation in her eyes. "Just relax and we'll make you feel good-"

"Wow, the boy was right." 

A voice called out to them as Y/N's body rose from the ground but, instead of his normal appearance, his hair had turned blacker than the darkest parts of the void and his eyes were a richer shade of the ichor running down the side of his head. His smile that could usually soothe Rin instead made her feel weak in the legs and made Sakura feel the same way. 

"You retards really are reading from the same script for generic thugs."

"Keith. Noah." The leader of the group of generic thugs said to his two lackeys who nodded and approached "Y/N" before they stopped suddenly. "Hey! What are you two doing!? Hurry up and-"

Their heads went flying as blood squirted from the severed stump on their necks, all over "Y/N's" face and clothes as he retained his friendly smile that now seemed colder than the most frigid places on the planet.

"You know, I'm happy you guys beat the kid down. He really needed to learn this lesson!" 

"Y/N" pointed one finger each at the men holding Rin and Sakura hostage before two ki blasts shot through their foreheads and killed them instantly. Blood splattered on Rin and Sakura as the two men fell backward. The younger of the two was unable to handle everything transpiring and, with the addition of the red tainting her clothes, finally fainted.

"R-Rin!" Sakura caught her sister and took a couple of steps back, every instinct in her body telling her to keep her eyes on the person who looked like Y/N.

"But, you made one mistake." 

Within the blink of an eye, "Y/N" was inches away from the delinquent leader's face, his mock friendly expression replaced with a bone-chilling glare that made the man shit bricks.

"The boy belongs to ME. The only one allowed to lay a finger on him is ME."

Grabbing his jaw, "Y/N" tore it off and tossed it to the side, walking towards the last standing man who quickly backed up, finally sobering up in the wake of the sudden wave of danger.

Seeing no other option, the survivor sprinted towards Sakura with the vain hope of holding her hostage again. His "brave" attempt was rewarded by a stomp on his back that shattered his spine and "Y/N's" right arm shoving through his chest from the front, tearing out his heart.

"Y/N" smiled and squeezed, sending bits and blood everywhere. He placed his left hand on the man's chest and pulled his arm out, pushing the corpse onto the ground. The entire right sleeve of his jacket was soaked and painted a sickly red from blood.

"Y/N" looked at his handiwork before looking over his shoulder and at Sakura who trembled under his crimson gaze.

"What's wrong, Sakura~? This is what you wanted, right? You wanted an excuse to keep Rin away from me, right? Then, why do you look so scared? This is who I truly am!" "Y/N" exclaimed before he flew up and stomped the bottom of his shoe on the final delinquent's - the one that was unconscious - head, cracking it like an egg while he cackled loudly, filling the alleyway with the insane laughter of something that could not remotely be called human.

"..." Sakura tried to regain her composure to some degree of success and coldly glared at "Y/N" before saying, "No, you aren't Y/N. He isn't a monster like you, Oni."

"You're calling me a demon? I'm hurt! I really am!"

"Y/N" pouted and began to approach Sakura whose cold demeanor crumbled and she backed up with Rin in her arms.

"That's enough." 

Three black-and-white lances landed in front of "Y/N" and barred him from taking another step. Valda turned the corner with her arms crossed, taking a moment to survey the situation, and stepping protectively in front of Sakura with her usual confident smile.

"V-Valda-sama? W-W-What's going on!?"

"Sakura. I'll explain later. Just take Rin back home and tell her that everything that happened today was a nightmare."

Sakura wanted to protest but decided against it when she saw the faint golden aura around Valda and the black energy around "Y/N" spiking. Holstering Rin onto her back, the rightfully confused and terrified woman left the scene with a million questions swirling around in her head.

"Tch, you Herrschers of Void are such a pain to deal with... You're lucky that this body is past its limit..." 

"Really? What was your excuse for last time then?"

"Fuuuuuck you, bitch."

"Y/N" stumbled and fell forward, his hair and eyes returning to their original colors as his dark aura disappeared. 

"(I would love nothing more than to sock this bitch in the face...)" was the last thing they thought before fading back into the background.

"Oh, dear..." Valda said as Y/N's body landed face-first into her bosom and she caught him. "Do you know how much trouble you caused me today, young man? I hadn't planned for Rin and Sakura to get involved with the Honkai at this point in time..." She sighed while Y/N stirred in his sleep and mumbled something incoherent, making her smile and giggle with amusement at the cute sight. "Ah, well. I can't get mad at you when you're going to show this adorable side of you." Valda said and lifted Y/N in her arms, leaning to whisper into his ear, "You owe me one, Y/N. And, I already have some ideas on how you'll repay me~!"

Valda giggled before walking through a portal with Y/N in her arms, leading to Rin and Sakura's house while another one opened nearby to teleport the eldest granddaughter of the household.

"W-What just..."

At that moment, Gestell left the bathroom while toweling off her wet gray hair and wearing a towel around her body.

"Oh," She looked at both Valda and Sakura, the two having facial expressions on different sides of the spectrum. 

"What did I miss?"

===

To Be Continued

===