Steel against the will

Ken felt like he was floating. There was no ground, no sky. Just an endless fall into a dense, black void. He couldn't move his arms or scream. All that existed was that voice, echoing in his head like a distant echo: “ ...Ken... wake up... Ken... ”

He opened his eyes, gasping for air as if he had been underwater. The first thing he saw was the concrete ceiling of his room. It took him a few seconds to remember who he was and why every part of his body ached. The sleep had been so deep that his body felt heavy, disconnected from his mind.

He slowly sat up, grimacing. With considerable effort, he got to his feet and walked over to the small broken mirror in the corner. His reflection gave him a pitiful image: his torso was covered in bruises ranging from yellow to dark purple, a map of the beating the Oni had given him the day before.

“ Damn it... ” he whispered as he searched for his clothes.

To hide the marks and not worry anyone, he quickly got dressed: the compression shirt, the sweatshirt, and the vest. Just as he was zipping up his jacket, the door opened.

“ So you're finally awake, brat. ”

It was Saito. The old man entered leaning on his cane, looking Ken up and down with that piercing gaze of his.

Ken finished adjusting his gloves and muttered a quick greeting, avoiding eye contact with the old man. He knew what was coming.

Saito approached and, without warning, struck him on the left arm with his cane. It wasn't hard enough to hurt him, but it was enough to sting, like a scolding from a stern grandfather. “ You were a very reckless brat. You almost got yourself killed playing the hero. Please don't do that again. I can't lose you too. ”

Ken didn't answer. He pressed his lips together and looked away toward the window. Guilt weighed heavily on him.

“ You'd better listen to the old man, unless you want to end up like your brother. ”

The words cut through the air like an icy knife. Ken tensed. His eyes fixed on the open door.

There, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, stood Tanimoto. He was tall, with dark, well-groomed hair. He wore the Kijin uniform impeccably, without a single wrinkle, and an official katana hung from his waist. He was one of the strongest Rank Bs in the Citadel, and he knew it.

“ You're just a civilian who moves boxes and supplies. ” Tanimoto continued, entering the room as if he owned it. “ Leave the real work to us, the chosen ones. Your pathetic performance yesterday only got in the way. ”

Ken's blood boiled. “ Repeat what you said about my brother... ” Ken growled, stepping forward with clenched fists, “ ...and I'll knock your teeth out. ”

Tanimoto let out a laugh that was full of contempt. “ You? Break something of mine? Please. Yesterday, an Oni infantryman almost killed you. You're weak. At least your brother Takeshi had talent, even if he was delusional. You're just... a nuisance. ”

Ken was about to lunge at him, but Saito's staff came between them. “ Enough! ” Saito shouted. “ Tanimoto, this is neither the time nor the place for your provocations. ”

Tanimoto looked at the old man with a mocking bow, but his eyes remained fixed on Ken, defiant. “ You're right, Saito. Words are carried away by the wind. “ Tanimoto drew his sword slightly, showing the steel, and sheathed it again with a click. ” I formally challenge you to a Kijin Duel, Ken. At sunset. In the training yard. Unless you want to keep hiding behind the old man."

Ken didn't think twice. He didn't even hesitate for a second. “ I accept. ”

Saito sighed deeply, bringing a hand to his forehead. “ These young people today... they're just looking for ways to kill themselves faster. ”

Tanimoto smiled. “ Good. Don't be late. It would be a shame to win by default. ”

The Kijin turned and left, leaving a heavy atmosphere in the small room.

The hours passed too quickly. As the sun began to paint the sky blood red, Ken waited at the edge of the training ground. His hands trembled with fear, or perhaps because he was nervous.

" What was I thinking? " he said to himself as he looked at his hands. "He's a Kijin. He has abilities and a weapon. I have nothing. I can't even activate my energy at will. My hands are weak..."

But then he remembered Tanimoto's laughter. He remembered how he talked about Takeshi.

Ken clenched his fists until the trembling stopped. He wasn't going to back down. He was going to prove to everyone, and to himself, that he wasn't useless.

When he reached the center of the courtyard, there were already people there. News of the duel had spread far and wide. Several off-duty Kijin, curious civilians, and, in the background, with a serious expression, was Saito.

In the center of the dirt arena, a ceremonial fire had been lit. It was tradition: when the fire went out, the fight would begin.

Tanimoto was already there waiting for him, stretching his arms arrogantly. “ I thought you'd chicken out and stay in your room crying. ” said the Kijin, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“ Shut up. ” replied Ken, putting himself on guard, an old-fashioned street fighter's stance. " I've come to show you how much I'm worth. "

Tanimoto laughed. “ Then let's see how little you're worth. ”

They both looked at the campfire. The flames consuming the little dry wood that remained began to die down.

The last flame flickered and died, leaving only red embers.

That was the moment to start the fight.

Tanimoto moved first. It was a quick move. He drew his blunt sword for the confrontation and launched a horizontal attack. Ken reacted just in time, leaning back. He felt the wind from the steel pass inches away from him.

“ You're too slow! ” Tanimoto shouted.

The Kijin twisted his wrist and lunged forward. Ken jumped to the side, rolling across the ground. The fight was uneven. Tanimoto attacked with technique and precision, toying with him. Ken could only dodge, jump, and retreat.

“ Come on, Ken.” Tanimoto taunted, walking calmly toward him. “ You can't spend your whole life dodging and hiding. Is that how you thought you'd save your brother? By running away? At least have a little fun! ”

In a moment of carelessness, Ken tried to throw a punch. But it was a mistake.

Tanimoto saw it coming, deflected Ken's fist with the hilt of his sword, and connected with a brutal kick to the stomach.

Ken staggered backward, clutching his abdomen, and fell to one knee. The air had been knocked out of his lungs.

“How pathetic...” said Tanimoto, looking down at him with contempt. “You're not a Kijin. You can't defeat a weak Oni, and you can't touch me. You're a disgrace to the Kurosu name. Takeshi would be ashamed to see you crawling like this.”

Ken looked at the ground. The pain was unbearable, but the humiliation was worse. He's right, a voice in his head thought. " I am weak. "

But then, another voice emerged. The voice sounded like the one from his dream. " ...Ken... "

Anger began to overwhelm him, he felt his body heat up and become tense.

It wasn't normal anger. It was something heavier. Ken slowly stood up, staggering.

“ You... ” Ken muttered hoarsely. “ You have no right to talk about my brother. You're nobody to say his name with that mouth of yours! ”

Saito, watching from the crowd, narrowed his eyes. He noticed something no one else did. The air around Ken... was rippling. Like heat over asphalt in summer, but this wasn't heat. It was a visual distortion. The reality around the boy seemed to vibrate.

“ Oh? Are you angry?” Tanimoto raised his sword. “Come then. Try to silenc-”

Ken didn't let him finish. He let out a cry of pure rage, a roar that made some spectators recoil.

Ken lunged at him. Tanimoto smiled. " A frontal attack. Idiot. Easy to block. "  The Kijin raised his sword to block the blow and counterattack.

But Tanimoto didn't see what Saito saw. Ken's gloves were glowing. It wasn't light, but darkness. A black and purple aura enveloped his fists.

Ken's right fist struck the blade of the sword.

Ken should have broken his hand. He should have screamed in pain when he struck. However, that was not the case.

Everyone interpreted the sound they heard as a gunshot.

Tanimoto's sword shattered into a thousand pieces upon contact with Ken's fist. The metal couldn't withstand the pressure.

The blow didn't stop there. It pierced through the defense and connected with Tanimoto's jaw.

The Kijin, one of the strongest in the Citadel, was thrown backwards, his feet leaving the ground, and fell a few meters away, unconscious before he hit the ground.

The silence in the courtyard was absolute. No one said a word, stunned.

Everyone was looking at two things: Tanimoto, defeated with a single blow. And Ken, standing, breathing heavily, the air around him still vibrating with that strange visual distortion. His gloves were smoking slightly with an energy that was inexplicable to many.

Saito gripped his staff tightly, whispering a single word to himself, a word he feared: “ ...Is it... a specter? ”